Tuukka Tieksola – McKeen's Hockey

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: CAROLINA HURRICANES – RANK: #14 – TIER III

McKeen's Hockey — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 15:28:03 +0000

Carolina Hurricanes

#14 Carolina - Carolina has drafted for quantity as much as quality over teh last few seasons, and their system reflects that, lacking too many top flight guys, but going very long on that next tier.

Seth Jarvis. Photo by Keith Dwiggins/Portland Winterhawks

Seth Jarvis - RW

To say Jarvis’ AHL debut was a success would be an understatement. With the pandemic allowing underage players to participate in a few pro games last season, Jarvis made the most of his opportunity, posting seven goals and 11 points in just nine games for the Chicago Wolves. He led the league in scoring at the moment in time when he was sent back to Portland to finish the season in the WHL. There he added 27 more points in 24 games to close out an extremely successful draft-plus-one campaign.

Jarvis is a supremely talented player with electrifying skills. His skating and stickhandling make him a force in the neutral zone, creating turnovers and leading the rush the other way. In the offensive zone, Jarvis attacks with pace and is able to execute at top speed. He sees the ice well and is a creative playmaker but can also finish with precision in a variety of ways. He displayed a keen sense of time and space at the faster AHL pace and adapted well. Ineligible for the AHL this upcoming season, the odds are the Hurricanes will send Jarvis back to Portland for a final junior season, as they generally like to let their prospects over-ripen. However, one could argue that Jarvis has nothing left to prove at the junior level and excelled playing against men last season already. His ability to play wing or center could see him earn a spot in the NHL in 2021-22 with a strong training camp. - AS

Dominik Bokk - RW

Currently 21-years-old, Dominik Bokk is a former 1st rounder of the St. Louis Blues who was acquired by the Carolina Hurricanes in the deal that sent defenseman Justin Faulk to St. Louis. Entering the 20-21 season, Bokk had parts of three SHL seasons - including two full seasons - under his belt, having peaked to date with 23 points for Rögle BK in the 18-19 season. A strong WJC with six goals as well as an uptick in his SHL goalscoring from eight to 11 took place in the 19-20 season, but this year began in a manner that quickly had him in limbo. Surprisingly scheduled to play for DEL bottom feeder Krefeld heading into the season, the delayed DEL start led to Bokk looking for greener pastures, landing once again in Sweden and admittedly with his third SHL organization, Djurgarden.

A team desperate for offense at the time of his arrival, the Stockholmers lived through 20 games of Bokk’s most ineffective play as a professional. Known for his fantastic mitts, some shake-n-bake moves, and a strong ability to find teammates in scoring positions, Book couldn’t muster up more than his three points despite being given a prime opportunity on a scoring line upon his arrival. Carolina brought him over to the AHL once the league got going and it proved to be the breath of fresh air that Bokk so desperately needed. Suiting up for 29 games with the Chicago Wolves, Bokk's first sojourn to North America saw him rack up nine goals and 18 points, most over the second half of his AHL season, finding a real groove while learning what challenges await him as part of a Carolina system that is generally stacked with forward prospects. The key is that he has gotten acclimated and was able to make some noise. Carolina will be needing to look for some affordable, extra scoring on the wings over the next few seasons and one of those could be Bokk. - CL

Ryan Suzuki - C

All things considered; it was a very successful season for the former Hurricanes first round pick. After helping Canada win silver at the World Junior Championships, Suzuki joined the Chicago Wolves of the AHL with the OHL on hiatus. With Chicago, Suzuki was very productive and impressive in a bottom six role for the Wolves, his first taste of pro action. The younger brother of Montreal’s Nick Suzuki, Ryan appears well on track to be an NHL player.

The two areas of Ryan’s game that needed to be improved upon to find success at the pro level definitely improved this season. The first would be his assertiveness and aggressiveness with the puck, showing a willingness to attack the middle and play through contact. The second would be his confidence in using his shot and being more deliberate with the puck. By improving these two areas, Suzuki was able to be a more consistent and reliable offensive player and it improves his odds of becoming a high-end middle six forward at the NHL level. He will need to continue to get stronger and quicker, however he will get the opportunity to return to Chicago this upcoming season, where he will take on a larger role and show that he can be an offensive leader in the AHL before moving on to the next challenge at the NHL level. - BO

Noel Gunler - RW

After not getting much ice time with his hometown team Lulea HF, Gunler was traded to Brynäs IF in the first months of the 2020-21 season. His role significantly improved after the move, as he was getting more Top six and power play minutes. He was given a chance in 32 Swedish Hockey League games, and his production was alright for a 19-year-old: eight goals and five assists, a total of 13 points.

The Swedish winger is a skilled shooter, he proved his abilities in both SHL and the World Junior Championships (four goals in five matches). He still projects as a second-line forward, due to his awesome shot, size (6-2”), physicality and overall offensive abilities. His PPG was the 3^rd highest behind two Top seven 2020 NHL Draft picks, Alexander Holtz and Lucas Raymond, out of all D+1 SHL players. A pre-draft consensus 1^st round candidate himself, he has the potential to become one of the steals of last year's draft. He was surprisingly taken in the second round (41^st overall) by the Hurricanes. Gunler is expected to start the next season with Brynäs, which is a really good move. The 19-year-old needs to spend more time with the pros, working on his weaknesses (his play without the puck, consistency issues) and after improving his production, he should find his way to North America. - MD

Ville Koivunen - LW

A winger who has not been receiving near the amount of respect he is deserving of, Koivunen parlayed a U20 season this year into a league Rookie of the Year award and a three-year extension with Karpat’s main club. His reputation as an offensive weapon was only strengthened with a 10-point performance at the U18 championships. Koivunen brings a combination of puck skills and hockey sense that should allow him to continue performing at a top six clip as he moves into the men’s leagues on a full-time basis this year. For those reasons, he was a terrific second round selection by Carolina this year.

Equally talented in a set-up capacity or as a finisher, Koivunen plays off of his linemates well, and demonstrates very mature poise on the puck, regardless of the level of pressure being placed on him by the defense. His skating will need some real improvement before he can be considered NHL-ready, which considers technique, leg strength, and just the stamina/drive to keep his feet moving and prevent splaying throughout the entirety of the shift. All of the impact tools are here for a future top six winger, with relatively small tweaks standing in the way of success. - McKeen’s Draft Guide 2021

Jamieson Rees - C

A highly competitive, yet skilled forward, Rees’ development has gone very well since being drafted by the Hurricanes in the second round of the 2019 Draft. Even with the OHL on hiatus this past season, Rees was able to carve out a significant role on the Chicago Wolves in the AHL as an underage player (playing on an exemption). Rees (and Ryan Suzuki, for that matter), brought energy, tenaciousness, and offensive production in a checking line role on a very strong Wolves team.

Rees is most electric and dangerous in transition, where he can use his speed to push the pace. However, he loves to drive the middle and crash the net; playing the pest role is something he seems to really enjoy. While Rees has the individual puck skill and creativity to consistently create chances, he is equally adept at finishing off plays and finding open space in the slot to use his high end shot release. A well-rounded player, it seems likely that Rees should at least be able to carve out a long career as a versatile and valuable third line forward. However, he will need to learn to play with more discipline as the penalty issues that plagued him in the OHL were also an issue in his first pro season. Look for Rees to play another full season in the AHL before pushing for playing time in Carolina. - BO

Pyotr Kochetkov - G

Looking back at Kochetkov's season it started very hopefully, as he was given a full-time backup roster spot (with the possibility to prove himself as a potential starter too) at Vityaz KHL team, but unfortunately, he didn't use that opportunity very well. Additionally, at the same time, the team's third goalie had a breakout season, so it didn't take long until Kochetkov found himself not in the position to succeed anymore. A trade to the Torpedo team at the KHL deadline solved the situation a bit, as he was able to get himself some starts again, but still, that couldn't really save his season.

Kochetkov has signed with the Hurricanes but was immediately loaned back to Torpedo for the coming season. He will have to compete for his starts there again, as, judging by the roster situation in Torpedo, he won't be getting those handed to him. What he really needs to do next season to further his development (aside from winning as many starts as possible) is to work on his technique and consistency, as he is still a pretty raw goalie, which is worrying considering his age. In other words, the Canes goaltending coaching staff will need to address that and do their work to make him an NHL level goalie. - VF

Jack Drury - C

Ivy Leaguers typically stay in school for the full four years, or at least three, but the pandemic we are still living through has led to far stranger things than a talented player walking away from Harvard after only two seasons in uniform. A player who has always been able to contribute above the level of his disparate skills, Drury leveraged the global pandemic to leave school early, not to sign an NHL contract, but to sign for a season in Sweden with SHL Vaxjo, with whom he captured a league title, leading the team in scoring in the postseason to boot. Drury is the type that requires numerous viewings to truly appreciate, as none of his individual skills, on their own, stand out. He just gets the job done.

Carolina has a fairly deep organization, both at the NHL level and in the minors, so there is no reason to expect Drury to play in the NHL for any significant length of time in 2021-22. But with six of the centers either clearly above him or vying for NHL time with him looking at expiring contracts at the end of the upcoming season, Drury’s timeline to a strong NHL opportunity is relatively short. The lack of any one selling tool perhaps limits Drury to a middle six upside, but by this time, it would surprise roughly no one if he exceeded his tools yet again once he gets to the NHL. - RW

Joey Keane - D

An AHL All-Star as a rookie in 2019/20, Keane was rewarded midseason with a trade from the Rangers to the Hurricanes (in exchange for Julien Gauthier). In his first full season with the Canes organization, Keane continued to be an AHL stand out with the Checkers. This led to the reward of a cup of coffee with the Canes, allowing management to evaluate his future prospects with the organization.

The highlight of Keane’s game is his mobility. An elite level skater in all four directions, Keane always seems to be a step ahead of the competition. A tenacious physical player, Keane stands out in the defensive end, first and foremost, because of his ability to quell transitional attacks. Offensively, he will take his chances to lead and jump into the attack, given his quickness. However, his decision making is still called into question at times, leading some to believe that he may settle into more of a defensive role at the NHL level. Keane stands to receive a chance to be a full time third pairing defender next year if he has a strong camp and preseason as he will likely be competing with the recently acquired Ethan Bear for playing time. While his upside remains a bit of a question mark, his odds of becoming an NHL defender, in some capacity, seem good. - BO

Tuukka Tieksola - RW

Even though there was some disappointment over Tieksola not making the Finnish World Junior squad this year, he did experience a breakout performance in Liiga with Karpat. His 18 points in 37 games was the sixth best production by a U20 player in Liiga. The speedy and crafty winger turned this performance into a contract with the Hurricanes.

Tieksola’s game revolves around his quick feet and hands. Shifty and elusive in the offensive zone, he is great at finding soft spots in coverage. His top end speed can be an asset in transition too, and he has really dialed up his physical intensity level since being drafted to become a competent forechecker and boards player. Even with a contract in hand, the Hurricanes will be loaning Tieksola back to Finland for the year. He will rejoin Karpat and look to improve his production and establish himself as a go-to offensive player in Liiga. He projects as a middle six scoring option for Carolina but is probably still a few years off of reaching that potential. - BO

Aleksi Heimosalmi - D

A recent second round selection by Carolina, Heimosalmi was one of the breakout stars of this year’s World Under 18’s, earning the tournament’s top defender honor. Blessed with excellent skating ability, Heimosalmi is a dynamic puck mover, but he will look to improve his play in his own end as he becomes a Liiga regular this season with Assat.

Anttoni Honka - D

Since being drafted in 2019, Honka has done nothing but improve and is coming off of his best season yet in Liiga with JYP. The smooth skating offensive defender will return to Finland for another year and then should be ready to cross the pond and push for the Carolina roster.

Scott Morrow - D

Another recent second round selection, Morrow was billed as one of the 2021 draft’s best skaters. However, he has seen limited action above the prep school level and remains a long-term project, albeit one with high upside. Morrow will suit up for UMass this year, which has done a terrific job of developing defenders in recent years.

David Cotton - LW

Cotton had a very good first pro season with Charlotte after four very strong seasons at Boston College. The strong two-way center is someone who projects as a middle six forward for the Hurricanes and could see action as early as this year in Carolina.

Eetu Makiniemi - G

Fresh off his first full season as a starter in Liiga, Makiniemi has signed with Carolina and will head to North America to play in the AHL this year. He will compete to be the starter in Charlotte and has the package of size and athleticism that could make him a back-up at minimum in the future.

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Top 300 Prospect Rankings

McKeen's Hockey — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 17:09:56 +0000

These are our final prospect ranking prior to the start of the season. As a subscriber you can download the list in an excel chart and can link to the player pages in the chart found here. As always, the rankings you see below are based on our 20-80 scouting system looking at five categories for skaters (Skating, Shot, Puck Skills, Hockey Smarts, Physicality) and six for netminders (Athleticism/Quickness/Speed, Compete/Temperament, Vision/Play Reading, Technique/Style, Rebound Control, Puck Handling). Our prospect team spent large portions of their last few months pre-COVID in the rinks, watching the players below and many others, and further work on video (Instat Hockey has been a terrific resource in recent days) before passing judgement on their future projections.

The 20-80 scouting system is meant to allow players from different leagues in different parts of the world to be compared to one another, such that grades on a player in the OHL can be directly compared to grades from an AHL player, and to grades of someone playing in the MHL.

PROSPECT CRITERIA

Players under 26 years of age as of the September 15th prior (Sep. 15, 1994) to the season in question who have appeared in less than 60 NHL games (30 for goalies) and less than 35 in any one season – or 25 last year (20 for goalies, 15 last season) are considered prospects

RANK	PLAYER	NHL	POS	AGE	HT/WT	ACQUIRED
1	Alexis Lafreniere	NYR	LW	19	6-1/195	`20(1st)
2	Tim Stutzle	Ott	C	18	6-1/185	`20(3rd)
3	Quinton Byfield	LA	C	18	6-4/215	`20(2nd)
4	Trevor Zegras	Ana	C	19	6-0/170	`19(9th)
5	Kirill Kaprizov	Min	LW	23	5-10/200	`15(135th)
6	Lucas Raymond	Det	LW	18	5-11/170	`20(4th)
7	Dylan Cozens	Buf	C	19	6-3/185	`19(7th)
8	Bowen Byram	Col	D	19	6-0/195	`19(4th)
9	Peyton Krebs	VGK	C	19	5-11/180	`19(17th)
10	Jake Sanderson	Ott	D	18	6-1/185	`20(5th)
11	Moritz Seider	Det	D	19	6-3/185	`19(6th)
12	Jamie Drysdale	Ana	D	18	5-11/175	`20(6th)
13	Igor Shesterkin	NYR	G	25	6-1/190	`14(118th)
14	Alexander Holtz	NJ	RW	18	6-0/190	`20(7th)
15	Cole Perfetti	Wpg	LW	19	5-10/180	`20(10th)
16	Marco Rossi	Min	C	19	5-9/185	`20(9th)
17	Vasili Podkolzin	Van	RW	19	6-1/190	`19(10th)
18	Victor Soderstrom	Ari	D	19	5-11/180	`19(11th)
19	Nick Robertson	Tor	LW	19	5-9/160	`19(53rd)
20	Cole Caufield	Mtl	RW	19	5-7/165	`19(15th)
21	Yaroslav Askarov	Nsh	G	18	6-3/175	`20(11th)
22	Spencer Knight	Fla	G	19	6-3/195	`19(13th)
23	Philip Broberg	Edm	D	19	6-3/200	`19(8th)
24	Jack Quinn	Buf	RW	19	6-0/180	`20(8th)
25	Matthew Boldy	Min	LW	19	6-1/190	`19(12th)
26	Nils Lundkvist	NYR	D	20	5-11/180	`18(28th)
27	Seth Jarvis	Car	RW	18	5-10/175	`20(13th)
28	Ty Smith	NJ	D	20	5-10/180	`18(17th)
29	Grigori Denisenko	Fla	LW	20	5-11/185	`18(15th)
30	Barrett Hayton	Ari	C	20	6-1/190	`18(5th)
31	Alex Newhook	Col	C	19	5-10/195	`19(16th)
32	Thomas Harley	Dal	D	19	6-3/190	`19(18th)
33	Alex Turcotte	LA	C	19	5-11/185	`19(5th)
34	Vitali Kravtsov	NYR	RW	21	6-3/185	`18(9th)
35	Philip Tomasino	Nsh	C	19	5-11/180	`19(24th)
36	Connor McMichael	Wsh	C	19	5-11/175	`19(25th)
37	Dawson Mercer	NJ	C	19	6-0/180	`20(18th)
38	Ilya Sorokin	NYI	G	25	6-2/180	`14(78th)
39	Gabriel Vilardi	LA	RW	21	6-3/200	`17(11th)
40	Ryan Merkley	SJ	D	20	5-11/170	`18(21st)
41	Alexander Romanov	Mtl	D	20	5-11/185	`18(38th)
42	Kaiden Guhle	Mtl	D	18	6-2/190	`20(16th)
43	Samuel Poulin	Pit	LW	19	6-1/205	`19(21st)
44	K'Andre Miller	NYR	D	20	6-3/205	`18(22nd)
45	Scott Perunovich	StL	D	22	5-10/175	`18(45th)
46	Evan Bouchard	Edm	D	21	6-2/195	`18(10th)
47	Braden Schneider	NYR	D	19	6-2/200	`20(19th)
48	Juuso Valimaki	Cgy	D	22	6-2/205	`17(16th)
49	Cam York	Phi	D	19	5-11/175	`19(14th)
50	Anton Lundell	Fla	C	19	6-1/185	`20(12th)
51	Morgan Frost	Phi	C	21	5-11/180	`17(27th)
52	Owen Tippett	Fla	RW	21	6-1/200	`17(10th)
53	Albert Johansson	Det	D	19	5-11/165	`19(60th)
54	Liam Foudy	CBJ	C	20	6-0/175	`18(18th)
55	Kieffer Bellows	NYI	LW	22	6-0/200	`16(19th)
56	Arthur Kaliyev	LA	RW	19	6-2/190	`19(33rd)
57	Oliver Wahlstrom	NYI	RW	20	6-1/205	`18(11th)
58	Nils Hoglander	Van	RW	20	5-9/185	`19(40th)
59	Matias Maccelli	Ari	LW	20	5-11/170	`19(98th)
60	Tobias Bjornfot	LA	D	19	6-0/200	`19(22nd)
61	Jacob Bernard-Docker	Ott	D	20	6-0/180	`18(26th)
62	Connor Zary	Cgy	C	19	6-0/180	`20(24th)
63	Dominik Bokk	Car	RW	20	6-1/180	T(StL-9/19)
64	Ryan Suzuki	Car	C	19	6-0/180	`19(28th)
65	Dylan Samberg	Wpg	D	21	6-3/190	`17(43rd)
66	Jake Bean	Car	D	22	6-1/175	`16(13th)
67	Josh Norris	Ott	C	21	6-1/195	T(SJ-9/18)
68	Rasmus Kupari	LA	C	20	6-1/185	`18(20th)
69	Jakob Pelletier	Cgy	LW	19	5-9/165	`19(26th)
70	Drake Batherson	Ott	RW	22	6-1/190	`17(121st)
71	Jan Jenik	Ari	RW	20	6-1/180	`18(65th)
72	John-Jason Peterka	Buf	LW	18	5-11/190	`20(34th)
73	Kirill Marchenko	CBJ	LW	20	6-3/190	`18(49th)
74	Bode Wilde	NYI	D	20	6-2/195	`18(41st)
75	John Beecher	Bos	C	19	6-3/210	`19(30th)
76	Tyler Madden	LA	C	21	5-10/155	T(Van-2/20)
77	Jack Studnicka	Bos	C	21	6-1/170	`17(53rd)
78	Jake Oettinger	Dal	G	22	6-4/210	`17(26th)
79	Alex Formenton	Ott	LW	21	6-2/165	`17(47th)
80	Matthew Robertson	NYR	D	19	6-3/200	`19(49th)
81	Calen Addison	Min	D	20	5-10/180	T(Pit-2/20)
82	Ty Dellandrea	Dal	C	20	6-0/185	`18(13th)
83	Akil Thomas	LA	C	20	5-11/170	`18(51st)
84	Mavrik Bourque	Dal	C	18	5-10/180	`20(30th)
85	Ian Mitchell	Chi	D	21	5-11/175	`17(57th)
86	Jason Robertson	Dal	LW	21	6-2/195	`17(39th)
87	Hendrix Lapierre	Wsh	C	18	5-11/180	`20(22nd)
88	Brendan Brisson	VGK	C	19	5-11/180	`20(29th)
89	Theodor Niederbach	Det	C	18	5-11/175	`20(51st)
90	Zac Jones	NYR	D	20	5-10/175	`19(68th)
91	Robert Mastrosimone	Det	LW	19	5-10/160	`19(54th)
92	Joe Veleno	Det	C	20	6-1/195	`18(30th)
93	Rodion Amirov	Tor	LW	19	6-0/170	`20(15th)
94	Jake Neighbours	StL	LW	18	5-11/195	`20(26th)
95	Julien Gauthier	NYR	RW	23	6-4/225	T(Car-2/20)
96	Justus Annunen	Col	G	20	6-4/215	`18(64th)
97	Egor Zamula	Phi	D	20	6-4/175	FA(9/18)
98	Shane Pinto	Ott	C	20	6-2/190	`19(32nd)
99	Noel Gunler	Car	RW	19	6-2/175	`20(41st)
100	Ridly Greig	Ott	C	18	5-11/165	`20(28th)
101	Jesse Ylonen	Mtl	RW	21	6-1/185	`18(35th)
102	Samuel Fagemo	LA	RW	20	6-0/195	`19(50th)
103	Mattias Norlinder	Mtl	D	20	5-11/180	`19(64th)
104	Olli Juolevi	Van	D	22	6-3/200	`16(5th)
105	Kristian Vesalainen	Wpg	LW	21	6-3/205	`17(24th)
106	Raphael Lavoie	Edm	RW	20	6-4/195	`19(38th)
107	Jan Mysak	Mtl	C	18	5-11/180	`20(49th)
108	Cayden Primeau	Mtl	G	21	6-3/180	`17(199th)
109	Pavel Dorofeyev	VGK	LW	20	6-1/170	`19(79th)
110	Morgan Barron	NYR	C	22	6-2/200	`17(174th)
111	Ville Heinola	Wpg	D	19	5-11/180	`19(20th)
112	Dylan Holloway	Edm	C	19	6-0/205	`20(14th)
113	Jack Dugan	VGK	RW	22	6-2/185	`17(142nd)
114	Alexander Khovanov	Min	C	20	5-11/195	`18(86th)
115	Jacob Perreault	Ana	RW	18	5-11/195	`20(27th)
116	Jake Evans	Mtl	C	24	6-0/185	`14(207th)
117	Adam Beckman	Min	LW	19	6-1/170	`19(75th)
118	Jett Woo	Van	D	20	6-0/205	`18(37th)
119	Nolan Foote	NJ	LW	20	6-3/190	T(TB-2/20)
120	Logan Brown	Ott	C	22	6-6/220	`16(11th)
121	Martin Kaut	Col	RW	21	6-1/175	`18(16th)
122	Jack Rathbone	Van	D	21	5-10/175	`17(95th)
123	Ozzy Wiesblatt	SJ	RW	18	5-10/185	`20(31st)
124	Ryan O'Rourke	Min	D	18	6-0/180	`20(39th)
125	Lukas Reichel	Chi	LW	18	6-0/170	`20(17th)
126	Jordan Harris	Mtl	D	20	5-11/180	`18(71st)
127	Lukas Dostal	Ana	G	20	6-1/170	`18(85th)
128	Egor Afanasyev	Nsh	RW	19	6-3/205	`19(45th)
129	Conor Timmins	Col	D	22	6-1/185	`17(32nd)
130	Lassi Thomson	Ott	D	20	6-0/190	`19(19th)
131	Eeli Tolvanen	Nsh	RW	21	5-10/175	`17(30th)
132	Kasper Simontaival	LA	RW	18	5-9/180	`20(66th)
133	Roni Hirvonen	Tor	C	18	5-9/165	`20(59th)
134	Thomas Bordeleau	SJ	C	18	5-9/180	`20(38th)
135	Benoit-Olivier Groulx	Ana	C	20	6-1/195	`18(54th)
136	Tyler Kleven	Ott	D	18	6-4/200	`20(44th)
137	Tyson Foerster	Phi	C	18	6-1/195	`20(23rd)
138	Helge Grans	LA	D	18	6-2/205	`20(35th)
139	Jonathan Dahlen	SJ	LW	23	5-11/185	T(Van-2/19)
140	Marat Khusnutdinov	Min	C	18	5-11/175	`20(37th)
141	Alexander Alexeyev	Wsh	D	21	6-3/200	`18(31st)
142	Pierre-Olivier Joseph	Pit	D	21	6-2/170	`17(23rd)
143	Topi Niemela	Tor	D	18	5-10/160	`20(64th)
144	Oskari Laaksonen	Buf	D	21	6-2/165	`17(89th)
145	Filip Hallander	Tor	LW	20	6-1/185	T(Pit-8/20)
146	Serron Noel	Fla	RW	20	6-5/205	`18(34th)
147	Martin Chromiak	LA	LW	18	6-0/185	`20(128th)
148	Shakir Mukhamadullin	NJ	D	18	6-3/180	`20(20th)
149	Mattias Samuelsson	Buf	D	20	6-3/215	`18(32nd)
150	Janne Kuokkanen	NJ	LW	22	6-1/190	T(Car-2/20)
151	Ryan Johnson	Buf	D	19	6-0/175	`19(31st)
152	Sean Farrell	Mtl	C	19	5-8/175	`20(124th)
153	Martin Fehervary	Wsh	D	21	6-1/190	`18(46th)
154	Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen	Buf	G	21	6-4/195	`17(54th)
155	Will Lockwood	Van	RW	22	5-11/175	`16(64th)
156	Isac Lundestrom	Ana	C	21	6-0/185	`18(23rd)
157	Michael DiPietro	Van	G	21	6-0/195	`17(64th)
158	Jonatan Berggren	Det	RW	20	5-10/185	`18(33rd)
159	Kevin Bahl	NJ	D	20	6-6/230	T(Ari-12/19)
160	Aliaksei Protas	Wsh	C	19	6-5/205	`19(91st)
161	Reilly Walsh	NJ	D	21	5-11/180	`17(81st)
162	Nick Abruzzese	Tor	C	21	5-9/160	`19(124th)
163	Tyler Tucker	StL	D	20	6-1/205	`18(200th)
164	Arseni Gritsyuk	NJ	RW	19	5-10/170	`19(129th)
165	Klim Kostin	StL	C	21	6-3/195	`17(31st)
166	Brayden Tracey	Ana	LW	19	6-0/175	`19(29th)
167	Joel Hofer	StL	G	20	6-3/160	`18(107th)
168	Joey Anderson	Tor	RW	22	6-0/195	T(NJ-10/20)
169	Yegor Spiridonov	SJ	C	19	6-2/195	`19(108th)
170	Sam Colangelo	Ana	RW	19	6-1/205	`20(36th)
171	Joey Keane	Car	D	21	6-0/185	T(NYR-2/20)
172	Jared McIsaac	Det	D	20	6-1/195	`18(36th)
173	Jamieson Rees	Car	C	19	5-10/175	`19(44th)
174	Ivan Morozov	VGK	C	20	6-1/180	`18(61st)
175	Rem Pitlick	Nsh	C	23	5-11/200	`16(76th)
176	Tyce Thompson	NJ	RW	21	6-0/170	`19(96th)
177	Michael McLeod	NJ	C	22	6-2/195	`16(12th)
178	Jaret Anderson-Dolan	LA	C	21	5-11/190	`17(41st)
179	Dustin Wolf	Cgy	G	19	6-0/165	`19(214th)
180	Antti Tuomisto	Det	D	19	6-4/190	`19(35th)
181	Brett Berard	NYR	LW	18	5-9/155	`20(134th)
182	Luke Evangelista	Nsh	RW	18	5-11/170	`20(42nd)
183	Joel Blomqvist	Pit	G	18	6-1/180	`20(52nd)
184	Joni Ikonen	Mtl	C	21	5-10/170	`17(58th)
185	Olivier Rodrigue	Edm	G	20	6-1/165	`18(62nd)
186	Lucas Elvenes	VGK	RW	21	6-0/175	`17(127th)
187	Anthony Angello	Pit	RW	24	6-5/205	`14(145th)
188	Tuukka Tieksola	Car	RW	19	5-10/160	`19(121st)
189	Declan Chisholm	Wpg	D	20	6-1/190	`18(150th)
190	Cole Koepke	TB	LW	22	6-1/195	`18(183rd)
191	Valtteri Puustinen	Pit	RW	21	5-9/185	`19(203rd)
192	Ty Smilanic	Fla	C	18	6-1/175	`20(74th)
193	Patrik Puistola	Car	LW	19	6-0/175	`19(73rd)
194	Justin Barron	Col	D	19	6-2/190	`20(25th)
195	Andrew Peeke	CBJ	D	22	6-3/210	`16(34th)
196	Michael Vukojevic	NJ	D	19	6-3/210	`19(82nd)
197	Alec Regula	Chi	D	20	6-3/200	T(Det-10/19)
198	Connor Corcoran	VGK	D	20	6-1/185	`18(154th)
199	Jeremy Swayman	Bos	G	22	6-1/190	`17(111th)
200	Pyotr Kochetkov	Car	G	21	6-1/175	`19(36th)
201	Mikey Anderson	LA	D	21	6-0/195	`17(103rd)
202	Carter Savoie	Edm	LW	18	5-9/190	`20(100th)
203	Samuel Walker	TB	C	21	5-11/160	`17(200th)
204	William Wallinder	Det	D	18	6-4/190	`20(32nd)
205	Jack Drury	Car	C	20	5-11/180	`18(42nd)
206	Emil Andrae	Phi	D	18	5-9/185	`20(54th)
207	Cal Petersen	LA	G	26	6-3/190	FA(7/17)
208	Jeremie Poirier	Cgy	D	18	6-0/200	`20(72nd)
209	Tarmo Reunanen	NYR	D	22	6-0/180	`16(98th)
210	Simon Holmstrom	NYI	RW	19	6-1/185	`19(23rd)
211	Aleksi Saarela	Fla	RW	23	5-11/200	T(Chi-10/19)
212	Anton Johannesson	Wpg	D	18	5-9/155	`20(133rd)
213	Lauri Pajuniemi	NYR	RW	21	6-0/185	`18(132nd)
214	Morgan Geekie	Car	C	22	6-2/180	`17(67th)
215	Shane Bowers	Col	C	21	6-2/190	T(Ott-11/17)
216	Sasha Chmelevski	SJ	C	21	5-11/190	`17(185th)
217	Ruslan Iskhakov	NYI	C	20	5-8/155	`18(43rd)
218	Cole Schwindt	Fla	RW	19	6-2/185	`19(81st)
219	Hugo Alnefelt	TB	G	19	6-3/195	`19(71st)
220	Nikita Okhotyuk	NJ	D	20	6-1/195	`19(61st)
221	Sampo Ranta	Col	LW	20	6-2/205	`18(78th)
222	Alexander Volkov	TB	LW	23	6-1/190	`17(48th)
223	Alexander True	SJ	C	23	6-5/205	FA(7/18)
224	John Leonard	SJ	C	22	5-11/190	`18(182nd)
225	Carl Grundstrom	LA	LW	23	6-0/195	T(Tor-1/19)
226	Dmitri Semykin	TB	D	20	6-3/200	`18(90th)
227	Cal Foote	TB	D	22	6-4/215	`17(14th)
228	Jean-Luc Foudy	Col	C	18	5-11/175	`20(75th)
229	Alex Barre-Boulet	TB	C	23	5-10/165	FA(3/18)
230	Tristen Robins	SJ	RW	19	5-10/175	`20(56th)
231	Max Gildon	Fla	D	21	6-3/190	`17(66th)
232	Nikita Alexandrov	StL	C	20	6-0/180	`19(62nd)
233	Michael Benning	Fla	D	18	5-9/180	`20(95th)
234	Justin Sourdif	Fla	RW	18	5-11/175	`20(87th)
235	Tanner Laczynski	Phi	C	23	6-1/200	`16(169th)
236	Eamon Powell	TB	D	18	5-11/165	`20(116th)
237	Kaedan Korczak	VGK	D	19	6-3/190	`19(41st)
238	Drew Commesso	Chi	G	18	6-1/180	`20(47th)
239	Nikolai Kovalenko	Col	RW	21	5-10/175	`18(171st)
240	Pius Suter	Chi	C	24	5-11/170	FA(7/20)
241	Wade Allison	Phi	RW	23	6-2/205	`16(52nd)
242	Bobby Brink	Phi	RW	19	5-10/165	`19(34th)
243	Lukas Cormier	VGK	D	18	5-10/180	`20(68th)
244	David Farrance	Nsh	D	21	5-11/190	`17(92nd)
245	Roby Jarventie	Ott	RW	18	6-2/185	`20(33rd)
246	Dmitri Voronkov	CBJ	LW	20	6-4/190	`19(114th)
247	German Rubtsov	Phi	C	22	6-2/190	`16(22nd)
248	Vitaly Abramov	Ott	RW	22	5-9/175	T(CBJ-2/19)
249	Alex Laferriere	LA	RW	19	6-0/175	`20(83rd)
250	Trey Fix-Wolansky	CBJ	RW	21	5-8/185	`18(204th)
251	Isaac Ratcliffe	Phi	LW	21	6-5/200	`17(35th)
252	Kale Clague	LA	D	22	6-0/180	`16(51st)
253	Landon Slaggert	Chi	LW	18	5-11/180	`20(79th)
254	Wyatt Kalynuk	Chi	D	23	6-1/180	FA(7/20)
255	Mikko Kokkonen	Tor	D	19	5-11/200	`19(84th)
256	Kevin Mandolese	Ott	G	20	6-4/180	`18(157th)
257	Daniil Tarasov	CBJ	G	21	6-5/185	`17(86th)
258	Evan Barratt	Chi	C	21	6-0/190	`17(90th)
259	Tyler Benson	Edm	LW	22	6-0/200	`16(32nd)
260	Yegor Korshkov	Tor	RW	24	6-4/215	`16(31st)
261	Hunter Skinner	NYR	D	19	6-2/175	`19(112th)
262	Riley Damiani	Dal	C	20	5-9/165	`18(137th)
263	Ryan McLeod	Edm	C	21	6-2/205	`18(40th)
264	Ilya Konovalov	Edm	G	22	6-0/195	`19(85th)
265	Will Cuylle	NYR	LW	18	6-3/205	`20(60th)
266	Evan Vierling	NYR	C	18	6-0/165	`20(127th)
267	Emil Heineman	Fla	LW	19	6-0/180	`20(43rd)
268	Zayde Wisdom	Phi	RW	18	5-10/195	`20(94th)
269	Hunter Jones	Min	G	20	6-4/195	`19(59th)
270	Ty Tullio	Edm	RW	18	5-10/165	`20(126th)
271	Jordan Spence	LA	D	19	5-10/165	`19(95th)
272	Dmitri Zavgorodny	Cgy	LW	20	5-9/175	`18(198th)
273	Alex Beaucage	Col	RW	19	6-1/195	`19(78th)
274	Matiss Kivlenieks	CBJ	G	24	6-2/190	FA(5/17)
275	Artyom Zub	Ott	D	25	6-2/200	FA(5/20)
276	Urho Vaakanainen	Bos	D	22	6-0/185	`17(18th)
277	Dmitri Samorukov	Edm	D	21	6-2/180	`17(84th)
278	Michal Teply	Chi	LW	19	6-3/185	`19(105th)
279	Colby Ambrosio	Col	C	18	5-8/170	`20(118th)
280	Mads Sogaard	Ott	G	20	6-7/195	`19(37th)
281	Jeremy Lauzon	Bos	D	23	6-3/205	`15(52nd)
282	Dennis Gilbert	Col	D	24	6-2/200	T(Chi-10/20)
283	Trent Frederic	Bos	C	22	6-4/215	`16(29th)
284	Lucas Carlsson	Chi	D	23	6-0/190	`16(110th)
285	Zack Macewen	Van	RW	24	6-3/205	FA(3/17)
286	Brandon Hagel	Chi	LW	22	6-1/175	FA(10/18)
287	Vasily Ponomarev	Car	C	18	5-10/180	`20(53rd)
288	Jakub Zboril	Bos	D	23	6-1/200	`15(13th)
289	Garrett Pilon	Wsh	RW	22	5-11/190	`16(87th)
290	Jeremy Bracco	Car	RW	23	5-9/180	FA(10/20)
291	Dylan Sikura	VGK	RW	25	6-0/170	T(Chi-9/20)
292	Kyle Capobianco	Ari	D	23	6-1/180	`15(63rd)
293	Sami Niku	Wpg	D	24	6-0/175	`15(198th)
294	John Farinacci	Ari	C	19	5-11/185	`19(76th)
295	Jackson Lacombe	Ana	D	19	6-1/170	`19(39th)
296	David Cotton	Car	LW	23	6-3/205	`15(169th)
297	Erik Portillo	Buf	G	20	6-6/210	`19(67th)
298	Jacob Truscott	Van	D	18	6-1/170	`20(144th)
299	Mikhail Berdin	Wpg	G	22	6-2/165	`16(157th)
300	Cam Hillis	Mtl	C	20	5-10/170	`18(66th)

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Carolina Hurricanes Top 20 Prospects

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 21:29:15 +0000

McKeen's Top 20 Carolina Hurricanes prospects for the 2020-21 season. You can read an organizational assessment prior to the draft in Ryan Wagman's article found here. Following the draft we provided a review on each teams performance based on our rankings found here.

Seth Jarvis, C (13^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Jarvis led his team in scoring last year and finished second to Adam Beckman in the WHL with 98 points. From January on, he had 63 points in 26 games. An explosive player in transition, he is at his best when he can attack with pace. His first step quickness allows him to turn plays around in an instant. He has an uncanny ability to dart in and out of traffic, changing his angles of attack and his pace to sneak past defenders. His hands can also keep up with his feet. He maintains possession through his quick stops, starts, and turns, and is difficult to stick check because of how he manages space. Jarvis also possesses a high-end intelligence level, both with and without the puck, exceling in all three zones. Equal parts playmaker and goal scorer, he can beat you in a lot of different ways. His explosiveness, puck skill, finishing ability, tenaciousness, and high IQ make him a potential high-scoring impact first line winger. He also can provide versatility by playing multiple roles and that should endear him to coaches at the next level rather quickly. - BO

Dominik Bokk, RW (Trade: Sep. 24, 2019. Originally: 25^th overall, 2018 [St. Louis]. Previous ranking: 1)

Bokk has elite skills but displays consistency issues as well. He has an accurate and fast wrist shot and can score from almost any angle. He rarely scores outside the circles, and his shot is lethal from the rush. He also possesses strong puck control and can deke his way through traffic. He has the vision to find an open teammate as well. Bokk is a frustrating prospect in the sense that he sees the ice well, and has all the technical tools, but does not always use them. There are some concerns that he is too much of a skills player and lacks the instincts to make the right play at the right time to win a game, which also could explain his consistency issues. Without the puck, he still has a lot of work to do on his game which might be instinct-related. I would like to see him get more into open spaces, while defensively he needs to cover the ice better and be more active. All-in-all, Bokk is still a year or two away from playing in the NHL and Carolina needs to work on his all-around game if he is to reach his considerable potential. - JH

Ryan Suzuki, C (28^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 2)

Suzuki projects as a premier playmaking center who has among the best vision and touch of any pivot in the OHL. That said, many parts of his game are still a work in progress. After a trade from Barrie to Saginaw, he formed instant chemistry with Cole Perfetti, and his play and commitment away from the puck really seemed to improve. At his best, Suzuki can drive the play with his strong skating ability, creativity, and penchant for working the half wall. He is especially dangerous on the powerplay with his vision and pinpoint passing ability on both his forehand and backhand. He still needs to improve his confidence in his shot, his ability to fight through traffic, the consistency of his zone entry success, offensive zone turnovers, and defensive commitment in the neutral and defensive zones. That said, he has already shown improvements. We saw him initiate challenges for the puck more consistently. And we saw him drive the middle to open up room for linemate Perfetti. As an NHLer, Suzuki certainly projects as a top six, playmaking center. Suzuki’s game is not as mature as his brother Nick (Montreal), however he does have the similar potential. - BO

Jake Bean, D (13^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 3)

In addition to patience on one of the top power plays in the Eastern Conference, Bean also brings a strong defensive game when penalty killing. Despite early concerns where skating and confidence were concerned, he quickly earned top minutes providing the Checkers with stability on the back end. He continues to get better offensively, carrying the puck well, and has gotten better at reading when to rush the puck or pass. A worrisome note is that while he may have gotten better at knowing when to let go of the puck, passing the puck and making the right play is another thing. Consistency throughout the season was a struggle as a really good game with several points one day would be followed by a game where he turns the puck over multiple times. Bean will have to work on bringing the same high intensity throughout the entirety of next season and avoiding neutral zone turnovers as much. He can skate, shoot, his hands are good, he protects the puck well, and his individual skill is NHL level, but the details in puck movement need to be tightened up before he takes up an eventual top four spot in the NHL. – SC

Noel Gunler, RW (41^st overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Gunler has three high end elements to his profile. First off, the man can skate. Not in the elite speed sense, but he takes off quickly, is very agile, and he moves well in four directions. Gunler has skills. He is far ahead of his age-cohort in his ability to create scoring chances on his own. Gunler can shoot. He is actually more natural as a finisher with his heavy wrister than as a creator. He reads goalies well, knowing when to fire and he doesn’t need to be in tight to pick his spot either, as he has the power to connect from long range. He will let a linemate do the heavy lifting, emerging at the critical moment in a high danger spot. Unfortunately, his effort level varies not just game-to-game, but shift-to-shift, and within a given shift as well. He can be a game breaker, and he can also be a completely transparent fifth wheel. He has also rubbed a lot of people in Sweden the wrong way and has rarely played internationally for his homeland. He could be a future first line weapon, and he could fail to establish himself as a regular NHL’er. – RW

Joey Keane, D (Trade: Feb. 18, 2020. Originally: 88^th overall, 2018 [NY Rangers]. Previous ranking: 4)

With the Hartford Wolfpack, Keane found his stride immediately as a professional and kept it up with Charlotte Checkers after being traded from the Rangers, earning 7 points in 9 games. Keane is a strong skater, skilled passer, creative puck handler and quick shooter. He is a threat no matter where he is on the ice and creates plays from all zones. His first games with Charlotte were shaky, but as his confidence grew, he proved that he could contribute with anyone to find the back of the net. Being so offensively driven and having been given a lot of freedom in his major junior years, Keane has slacked off on the details of his defensive game, not always being as present as he should be away from the puck. He will be starting next season back in the AHL, which means he will have to be better on the back end. He has all the tools and an opportunity to earn a top defensive spot in the NHL in the future and the changes to be made are so minute that he should grow into them within the next two seasons. - SC

Jamieson Rees, C (44^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 5)

A competitive firecracker, Rees is an ultra-intense offensive forward who had one of the better point-per-game averages in the OHL last season. That said, his style of play, coupled with his average size, has created injury issues. He also struggles towing the line between playing hard and playing reckless, resulting in several suspensions, limiting his time on ice and hampering his development. An explosive skater, and aggressive player, he pushes the pace on the attack and will look to drive the net. He is often the first man into the offensive zone to apply pressure. He plays a physical two-way game and excels as a penalty killer because of his tempo. His decision making with the puck needs to improve as turnovers can be an issue, especially in the offensive zone. He has the skill level, but with a tendency to force the issue or overhandle the puck. This was exasperated last season on a weak Sarnia team, leading to frequent frustration. That said, Rees is a very talented prospect. He needs to stay healthy, avoid penalties, and continue to mature. He has the makings of a very reliable middle six forward who can play in a variety of situations. – BO

Tuukka Tieksola, RW (121^st overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 6)

Tieksola was one of the top players in the Finnish U20 league in 2019-20. There were many moments when he looked too good for the junior level – he probably should have spent more time playing against men in Finland’s second-highest league. He is a highly skilled winger with a great blend of speed, skill and vision. More of a playmaker than goal-scorer, but he is a good finisher with a precise shot. A smooth skater, Tieksola has very quick feet and uses crossovers to accelerate. He plays at a fast pace and can execute plays at high speeds. He sees the entire ice and moves the puck really well – finding lanes for cross-ice passes. He is dangerous on the power play. Slick and crafty, he plays with poise and can hold on to the puck in the final third. Not particularly physical, but he plays with good effort and intensity. An exciting prospect with lots of potential – it will be interesting to see if he can earn ice-time in the Liiga next season. - MB

Patrik Puistola, RW (73^rd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 7)

Puistola split the 2019-20 season split between three Liiga teams. He had very limited ice-time with Tappara, was loaned to Jukurit and later on to KooKoo. He was one of the bright spots on the Finnish World Junior team. Puistola is a talented goal-scorer and extremely dangerous around the net. He is an excellent finisher and has a scorer’s touch in tight. His wrist shot is quick, and he does not need a whole lot of room to score. He has swift hands and overall, his stickhandling is very good. He has some impressive dekes in his repertoire and exhibits confidence with the puck. The main area for needed improvement is his skating. He has a bit of a choppy and ineffective stride. His balance could be much stronger as well. He is quite physical and does not shy away from contact. In fact, Puistola likes to engage physically and seems to enjoy physical confrontations. He signed a two-year contract with JYP, in Liiga, where he will try to take on a bigger role. - MB

Pyotr Kochetkov, G (36^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 8)

After a breakout 2019 season that saw Kochetkov named the top goaltender at the year’s World Junior Championships, the Hurricanes made him a second-round selection in his third year of NHL draft eligibility. The 2020 season was much more uneven for Kochetkov, bouncing around between four different teams, in addition to failing to secure a full-time spot in the KHL. He is certainly still intriguing because of his athleticism and size combination. He is extremely quick in the crease, displaying a somewhat unorthodox, aggressive, scrambling style in the crease that may need some refinement in North America. A late season trade to Vityaz Podolsk did bring about better fortunes for Kochetkov, so perhaps the 2020-21 season will be the year he establishes himself as a full time KHL netminder. Of course, he possesses the potential to be a starter for Carolina somewhere down the line. - BO

Jack Drury, C (42^nd overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 9)

Drury, nephew of former NHLer Chris Drury, just completed his sophomore season at Harvard. He spent two seasons playing for Waterloo in the USHL before joining the Crimson where he finished second on the team in scoring as a sophomore. Drury also played in the World Junior Championship in both of his collegiate seasons and he was a named to the ECAC All-Rookie Team as a freshman. Drury plays bigger than his 6-0” frame. He is a solid two-way forward who can obviously score. A mainstay on the penalty kill, he has an active defensive stick and causes turnovers. Drury is physical and will fight for the puck along the boards. He has good speed and a quick shot. He is capable of setting his teammates up but also has success scoring himself. The center also has really soft hands and makes difficult passes look effortless. He has been expected to return to Harvard as a junior, but recently rumors have spread that he might spend the 2020-21 playing in Europe as all Ivy League schools will be foregoing the Fall Sports schedules. – JS

Morgan Geekie, C/RW (67^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 10)

As a relatively recent third round selection, Geekie seemed like a longshot to earn a spot on Carolina’s 2020 playoff roster, although he managed to play the exhibition game leading into qualifiers. He finished third in points this season with the Charlotte Checkers, managing to put his passing and shooting skills in the spotlight. He is a smart player who plays a full 200-foot game and does well at killing penalties since his forechecking positioning is so strong. Geekie will need to keep working on his physical game and keep getting bigger and stronger before he makes a full time jump to the Carolina Hurricanes. He has the potential to earn an early call up next season where this year’s postseason experience will be good for such a consistent player and he can turn into a permanent third line fixture with Carolina. Geekie is clever and an asset thanks to his persistence and work ethic department, he has the drive to make it based on motivation alone, let alone his strong skill. – SC

Vasily Ponomarev, C (53^rd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Ponomarev had a solid, if unspectacular, CHL debut season with Shawinigan. He is a powerful skater with strong legs and an impressive first few steps, who can play strong on the puck and win more positional battles than you might expect for a player of his stature. His other offensive tools also project well. Ponomarev has an accurate wrist shot that he releases quickly and on which he is able to change the angle before firing, giving it deception. He may be even more gifted as a playmaker. He reads space on the ice exceptionally, and is creative, helping him find elusive passing lanes. Thanks to his ability to process the game, he was also used regularly on the penalty kill. Responsible at both ends, his work ethic was appreciated by his coaching staff. Even if his skill game is not enough to project as a top six NHLer, he is versatile enough to make it work further down the lineup, keeping him out of boom-or-bust territory. He could be primed to take a big step forward in his second North American season. – RW

Jeremy Bracco, C/RW (UFA: Oct. 16, 2020. Originally: 61^st overall, 2015 [Toronto]. Previous ranking: 6^th [Toronto])

Previously the dark sheep of the Toronto organization, Bracco’s talent and hockey IQ are unquestionable but it is hard to determine where he fits in his return to play. From powerplay to odd man rushes, he takes the lead in capitalizing on breaks and has proven to be dangerous. He can skate and shoot, and he knows when to make a pass or when to hold onto it. He has enough experience to earn an NHL callup, but the adjustment may be harder in terms of physicality and space. A weak spot seems to be knowing when to let go of the puck, oftentimes he gets himself into trouble by holding onto the puck too long and getting closed out and cut off. Given the chance, Bracco could do well as a third liner but discipline on and off the ice will need to be established first. Regardless of personal matters, Bracco remains a top talent and a forward who is capable of putting up 30+ point seasons in the NHL, he will hopefully come back next season better than ever, with a new chance in a new organization, after signing with Carolina as a free agent. - SC

David Cotton, C (169^th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 11)

The sixth-round draft pick spent one season in the USHL after being drafted and before joining the Eagles. Cotton stayed on campus for four full seasons, signing with Carolina (along with his brother, Jason) following the season. The Texas native played U16 hockey in Colorado before joining prep school in Massachusetts. As a high school athlete, he was named to the All-USA Hockey First Team. Cotton is a two-way forward and plays well defensively but has contributed his fair share of points as well and captained the Eagles as a senior. Cotton is an intimidating presence on the ice and can skate well with his 6-2”, 201-pound frame. He protects the puck well. He has excellent, soft hands, allowing him to corral and dish passes even under pressure and through traffic. Defensively, Cotton is pesky and aggressive. He also has a long reach, which he uses well. He will have to show what role he can play in the AHL before he earns an NHL debut. - JS

Eetu Makiniemi, G (104^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 12)

Makiniemi was a relatively unknown prospect when the Hurricanes selected him in the fourth round of the 2017 draft. However, that should not be the case any longer. He was named the best goalie in Finland’s second-highest league. He was stellar in many games and gave his team a chance to win almost every night. He is a hybrid goalie with very good skating ability. He is highly flexible, athletic, and has the ability to make extension pad saves. He also has strong recovery speed, and he makes big saves in key moments. He stays composed even when the stakes are high. There are two things that he has improved a great deal: consistency and rebound control. In the junior level, he occasionally let in some easy goals that he should have saved. His rebound control used to be an occasional issue but has gotten much better lately. There is no doubt in my mind that Makiniemi has NHL potential. He will likely get at least a decent amount of starts in the Liiga next season. - MB

Anttoni Honka, D (83^rd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 13)

Honka had a fairly good season with JYP in the Liiga. However, his World Juniors performance left me wanting more. He has very good puck skills, he handles the puck with ease and has some deception in his game. He is also a smooth skater, light on his feet, and moves well in all directions. He does not have blazing speed, but his skating is an asset, nonetheless. The main concerns are still his defensive game and decision making. He needs to defend the middle of the ice more effectively, as he gets caught out of position and does not keep his gaps tight enough. I would like to see him apply more stick pressure defensively. His style of play is quite risky, and I am not sure if that will translate to the NHL. He shows flashes of high-level skill and vision, especially on the power play, but his game is too erratic right now. I am interested to see what kind of progress he will make next season, now that he has finally re-signed with the Hurricanes. - MB

Kirill Slepets, RW (152^ndoverall, 2019. Previous ranking: 14)

Slepets is a strong skater who plays an active game away from the puck. He has good quickness in his first few strides and can spin off pressure along the boards. However, he lacks in explosiveness and his balance could be a tad stronger. He is always in motion and does not quit on plays. He works tirelessly and constantly puts pressure on opponents. He is shifty with the puck and carries it well through the neutral zone and into the offensive zone. He shows good offensive vision, and he can execute an effective passing game without much flash or dash. However, at the moment he does not play a very physical game. He needs to show more situational toughness and win puck battles at a higher rate. He has offensive skill; he moves well and plays with a good approach. Slepets is an interesting player who has potential to improve his overall game and reach an NHL ceiling. – MB

Zion Nybeck, RW (115^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

I would understand if you experience a touch of cognitive dissonance seeing Nybeck ranked near the end of the Hurricanes’ top 20, as he was the SuperElit’s leading scorer last season as a 17-year-old in a U20 league. He plays with great touch and is a high-end playmaker. His vision is advanced, and he successfully walks the fine line between playing creatively and simply. Our concerns are two-fold. First off, he is tiny (he looks up to Cole Caufield). Second, his skating is a problem. He has a low center of gravity which helps but has little power to his stride. Either one of those things could prevent him from ever reaching his full potential, but if he does, look out! The other elements of his game are incredibly impressive, particularly the aforementioned puck skills, but also his advanced IQ, most prominent in his offensive reads. He even has a strong shot for a smaller player (again, he still looks up to Caufield there). Boom or bust for sure, but few systems have players with this type of upside this far down their list. - RW

Blake Murray, C (183^rd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 15)

Coming into this past season, the focus for the 6-2” power center was on improving his footspeed, consistency, and engagement level without the puck. His goal scoring ability has never been questioned, as he put up 30 in his draft year (and 35 this year). However, it was the lack of a more well-rounded game that caused Murray to slip all the way to the sixth round. Encouragingly, those finer points definitely took a nice step forward in 2019-20. While his explosiveness could still stand to improve, his top speed and ability to cut and change direction with the puck have been upgraded. Additionally, Murray’s willingness to use his size to his advantage without the puck became more consistent. This bodes well for the future as he returns to Sudbury next year for his draft +2 season and will look to hit the 40-goal mark. Barring continued improvements to his skating, Murray projects as a middle six goal scoring forward. It remains to be seen whether he will be able to stick down the middle, but he has the size and touch to in traffic to be able to succeed at the pro level. - BO

MCKEEN’S 2020 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – CAROLINA HURRICANES – ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 5

Tue, 29 Sep 2020 11:19:37 +0000

Carolina Hurricanes

“We won’t be drafting defense in the first round as long as I’m here…I’ve got to have more offense, I want to lose five to four, not two to one…If we lose five to four, I’ll at least have fun.”

Carolina Hurricanes’ owner Tom Dundon, as told to Lauren Ohnesorge, Senior Staff Writer, Triangle Business Journal, Dec. 12, 2018

Dundon took over as majority owner of the Hurricanes on January 11, 2018. It has only been two drafts since he famously uttered the words above, but the Hurricanes have not drafted a blueliner in either of the first two rounds in either draft class. In fact, in their 2018 draft class, they only selected one defender in six picks, that coming in the sixth round. The ‘Canes made more picks last year, and three of their 12 picks (all of which taken in the third and fourth rounds) were used on defensemen.

The veracity of his statement aside, it leads me to question the wisdom of such an approach. The Hurricanes have nine defensemen on their roster approaching the play-in round. The crew members are all still within their respective primes, with 30-year-old Jake Gardiner standing as the only one whose age begins with a ‘3’.

As much as that approach would not have made a difference in the team’s acquisitions of stars Brett Pesce and Jaccob Slavin, drafted in the third and fourth rounds respectively, Gardiner, Dougie Hamilton, Brady Skjei, and Haydn Fleury were all first rounders, even if only the latter was drafted directly by Carolina.

Perhaps Dundon’s thinking is to avoid drafting defensemen early because he can trade for former first rounders or sign them as free agents instead, like three of the four above were. In which case, the approach would seem to entail a leveraging of the forces in the player market. On the other hand, the ‘Canes have also recently experienced the reverse, as last February, they traded a former first round pick, winger Julien Gauthier, who had yet to fully establish himself as a full-time NHLer, to the Rangers for blueliner Joey Keane, who had been drafted in the third round 20 months previously. So, what is the difference between drafting a defenseman in the first round and trading your first rounder for a different defenseman?

If Dundon’s thinking is to draft for skill and foster a high scoring environment, that is clearly not yet the case. Over the last two seasons the Hurricanes have averaged 3.07 goals for per game (14^th overall) and surrendered 2.76 per game (8^th). The combined total of 5.83 goals (both sides) per Hurricanes game over the last two seasons ranks 21^st in the NHL. In other words, Dundon’s teams haven’t played in many 5-4 games.

Of course, we would be remiss if we did not look at how much more and more top end young defensemen contribute to the offensive game. We need look no further than two of the finalists for this year’s Calder Trophy, in Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar. Both were top ten picks in their respective drafts and bring dynamic skill to the game, generating offensive chances better than most forwards, much less other defenders. I will not fault Carolina for drafting Andrei Svechnikov second overall in 2018, leaving Hughes on the board, and there does not seem to have been any defenders available when Carolina chose Ryan Suzuki 28^th overall last summer that would currently have the team regretting its choice, but at some point soon – maybe even this year – they might want to rethink such a blanket approach to drafting. No team should go too long with only three of its top 15 prospects lining up on the blueline.

BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 10: Boston University Terriers forward Jake Wise (17) spins around to take a shot on goal during Beanpot Tournament Championship game between the Northeastern Huskies and Boston University Terriers on February 10, 2020, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Mark Box/Icon Sportswire)

Dominik Bokk, RW (Trade: Sep. 24, 2019. Originally: 25^th overall, 2018 [St. Louis]. 2019 Rank: 2 [St. Louis])

Bokk has elite skills but displays consistency issues as well. He started last season with only two points in his first 19 SHL games. He received ice-time and power play shifts all year, so it was not a usage issue which is often the case with young talents. After a good showing at the WJC he started to really pick up his game. He scored in his first five games back and had 10 goals in a span of 13 games before hitting another slump without hitting the net in his last nine games before the pandemic ended the season.

Scoring 10 goals in 13 SHL games is rare as a junior player. He has an accurate and fast wrist shot and can score from almost any angle. He rarely scores outside the circles; his shot is lethal from the rush. He also possesses strong puck control and can deke his way through traffic. He has the vision to find an open teammate as well.

Bokk is a frustrating prospect in the sense that he sees the ice well, and has all the technical tools, but does not always use them. There are some concerns that he is more of a skill-product and lacks the instincts to make the right play at the right time to win a hockey game, which also could explain his consistency issues.

Without the puck, he still has a lot of work to do on his game which also can be an instinct issue. Offensively I would like to see him get more into open spaces and defensively he needs to cover the ice better and be more active. All-in-all, Bokk is still a year or two away from playing in the NHL and Carolina needs to work on his all-around game if he is to reach his considerable potential. - JH

Ryan Suzuki, C (28^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 2)

In Ryan Suzuki, the Carolina Hurricanes have a premier playmaking center who has among the best vision and touch of any pivot in the OHL. The issue is that many parts of his game are still a work in progress. A trade from the Barrie Colts to the Saginaw Spirit was certainly great for Suzuki and his development. He formed instant chemistry with top 2020 NHL draft talent Cole Perfetti, and under coach Chris Lazary, his play and commitment away from the puck really seemed to improve.

At his best, Suzuki can drive the play with his strong skating ability, creativity, and penchant for working the half wall. He is especially dangerous on the powerplay with his vision and pinpoint passing ability on both his forehand and backhand.

The aforementioned issues that still need to be ironed out include his confidence in his shot, his ability to fight through traffic, the consistency of his zone entry success, offensive zone turnovers, and defensive commitment in the neutral and defensive zones. But, as stated, his overall game really started to make strides once he got to Saginaw. We saw him initiate challenges for the puck more consistently. And we saw him drive the middle to open up room for linemate Perfetti.

As an NHL player, Suzuki certainly projects as a top six, playmaking center. The Hurricanes are likely going to need to be patient with Ryan. His game is not as mature as his brother Nick (of Montreal), however he does have the same potential. - BO

Jake Bean, D (13^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 8)

After making the roster as an extra for the Carolina Hurricanes playoff run in 2020, Bean’s future seems to have brightened even more. Although he was without a callup last season, he managed to lead the AHL Charlotte Checkers for points as a defenseman. Not only bringing patience to one of the top power plays in the Eastern Conference, he also brings a strong defensive game when penalty killing.

Despite getting off to a slow start where skating and confidence were concerned, Bean soon earned top minutes providing the Checkers with stability on the back end. He only continues to get better where his offensive play is concerned and continues to carry the puck well and has gotten better at reading when to rush the puck or pass. A worrisome thing to note is the fact that while he may have gotten better at knowing when to let go of the puck, passing the puck and making the right play is another thing. Consistency throughout the season was a struggle for Bean who would have a really good game with several points one day and the next would falter and turn the puck over multiple times in a game.

He will certainly have to work on bringing the same high intensity game throughout the entirety of next season and avoiding turning the puck over in the neutral zone as much. He can skate, he can shoot, his hands are good and he protects the puck well, his individual skill is NHL level but the details in the way he moves the puck need to be tightened up before he takes up an eventual top four spot with the Hurricanes. - SC

Joey Keane, D (Trade: Feb. 18, 2020. Originally: 88^th overall, 2018 [NY Rangers]. 2019 Rank: 10 [NY Rangers])

After being traded from the Rangers at the deadline, Keane added another solid blueline piece to the Carolina Hurricanes’ growing collection. With the Hartford Wolfpack he found his stride nearly immediately upon stepping on the ice for his rookie professional year and did the exact same thing with the Charlotte Checkers after the trade, earning seven points in nine games.

Keane embodies the idea of the new age of offensive defensemen as a strong skater, skilled passer, creative puck handler and quick shooter. He is a threat no matter where he is on the ice and creates plays from all zones. His first games with Charlotte were shaky as they tried to find appropriate partners for him but as his confidence built, he found a way to prove that he can contribute to finding the back of the net with all teammates.

Being so offensively driven and having been given a lot of freedom in his major junior years, Keane has since slacked off on the details of his defensive game, at times being on for goals scored and not being as present as he should be away from the puck. Keane will be starting next season in the AHL with the Checkers again which means he will have to be better on the back end. Keane has all the tools and an opportunity to earn a top defensive spot on Carolina’s roster in the future and the changes to be made are so minute that he should grow into them within the next two seasons. - SC

Jamieson Rees, C (44^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 4)

A competitive firecracker, Rees is an ultra-intense offensive forward who had one of the better point-per-game averages in the OHL last season. The issue is that Rees’ style of play, coupled with his average size, has created injury issues. He has also had a difficult time towing the line between playing hard and playing reckless. This has resulted in several suspensions. Over the last two seasons in the OHL, Rees has played less than 40 games both times. Moving forward, staying on the ice will be necessary for his development.

An explosive skater, Rees brings aggressiveness to all facets to his game. He pushes the pace on the attack and will look to drive the net to create scoring chances. He is often the first man into the offensive zone to apply pressure on the forecheck. He uses physicality to play a two-way game and excels as a penalty killer because of the tempo that he plays at.

Rees’ decision making with the puck will definitely need to improve as turnovers can be an issue, especially in the offensive zone. He has the skill level, but he has a tendency to try to force the issue or overhandle the puck. This was exasperated this season on a weak Sarnia team, as on many nights there was an element of frustration to his game.

That said, Rees is a very talented prospect. He just needs to stay healthy, stay out of the box, and continue to mature. He has the makings of a very reliable middle six forward who can play in a variety of situations. - BO

Tuukka Tieksola, RW (121^st overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

He is a highly skilled winger with a great blend of speed, skill and vision. More of a playmaker than goal-scorer, but he is a good finisher with a precise shot. A smooth skater, Tieksola has very quick feet and uses crossovers to accelerate. He plays at a fast pace and can execute plays at high speeds. He sees the entire ice and moves the puck really well – finding lanes for cross-ice passes.

He is dangerous on the power play. Slick and crafty, he plays with poise and can hold on to the puck in the final third. Not particularly physical, but he plays with good effort and intensity. An exciting prospect with lots of potential – it will be interesting to see if he can earn ice-time in the Liiga next season. - MB

Patrik Puistola, RW (73^rd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 5)

Puistola is a talented goal-scorer and extremely dangerous around the net. He is an excellent finisher and has a scorer’s touch in tight. His wrist shot is quick, and he does not need a whole lot of room to score. He has swift hands and overall, his stickhandling is very good. He has some impressive dekes in his repertoire and exhibits confidence with the puck.

The main area for needed improvement is his skating. He has a bit of a choppy and ineffective stride. His balance could be much stronger as well. He is quite physical and does not shy away from contact. In fact, Puistola likes to engage physically and seems to enjoy physical confrontations. He signed a two-year contract with JYP, in Liiga, where he will try to take on a bigger role. - MB

Pyotr Kochetkov, G (36^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 7)

He is certainly still intriguing because of his athleticism and size combination. He is extremely quick in the crease, displaying a somewhat unorthodox, aggressive, scrambling style in the crease that may need some refinement in North America.

A late season trade to Vityaz Podolsk did bring about better fortunes for Kochetkov, so perhaps the 2020-21 season will be the year he establishes himself as a full time KHL netminder. Of course, he possesses the potential to be a starter for Carolina somewhere down the line. - BO

Jack Drury, C (42^nd overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 12)

Drury plays bigger than his 6-0” frame. He is a solid two-way forward who can obviously score. A mainstay on the penalty kill, he has an active defensive stick and causes turnovers. Drury is physical and will fight for the puck along the boards. He has good speed and a quick shot. He is capable of setting his teammates up but also has success scoring himself. The center also has really soft hands and makes difficult passes look effortless.

He has been expected to return to Harvard as a junior, but recently rumors have spread that he might spend the 2020-21 playing in Europe as all Ivy League schools will be foregoing the Fall Sports schedules. - JS

David Cotton, C (169^th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: 10)

Cotton is a two-way forward and plays well defensively but has contributed his fair share of points as well and captained the Eagles as a senior. Cotton is an intimidating presence on the ice and can skate well with his 6-2”, 201-pound frame. He protects the puck well. He has excellent, soft hands, allowing him to corral and dish passes even under pressure and through traffic. Defensively, Cotton is pesky and aggressive. He also has a long reach, which he uses well. He will have to show what role he can play in the AHL before he earns an NHL debut. - JS

Eetu Makiniemi, G (104^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: UR)

He is a hybrid goalie with very good skating ability. He is highly flexible, athletic, and has the ability to make extension pad saves. He also has strong recovery speed and he makes big saves in key moments. He stays composed even when the stakes are high. There are two things that he has improved a great deal: consistency and rebound control. In the junior level, he occasionally let in some easy goals that he should have saved. His rebound control used to be an occasional issue but has gotten much better lately.

There is no doubt in my mind that Makiniemi has NHL potential. He will likely get at least a decent amount of starts in the Liiga next season. - MB

Morgan Geekie, C/RW (67^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 16)

He is a smart player who plays a full 200-foot game and does well at killing penalties since his forechecking positioning is so strong. Geekie will need to keep working on his physical game and keep getting bigger and stronger before he makes a full time jump to the Carolina Hurricanes. He has the potential to earn an early call up next season where this year’s postseason experience will be good for such a consistent player and he can turn into a permanent third line fixture with Carolina.

Geekie is clever and an asset thanks to his persistence and work ethic department, he has the drive to make it based on motivation alone, let alone his strong skill. - SC

Anttoni Honka, D (83^rd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 14)

The main concerns are still his defensive game and decision making. He needs to defend the middle of the ice more effectively, as he gets caught out of position and does not keep his gaps tight enough. I would like to see him apply more stick pressure defensively.

His style of play is quite risky, and I am not sure if that will translate to the NHL. He shows flashes of high-level skill and vision, especially on the power play, but his game is too erratic right now. I am interested to see what kind of progress he will make next season. - MB

Kirill Slepets, RW (152^ndoverall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 19)

He is shifty with the puck and carries it well through the neutral zone and into the offensive zone. He shows good offensive vision and he can execute an effective passing game without much flash or dash. However, at the moment he does not play a very physical game. He needs to show more situational toughness and win puck battles at a higher rate.

He has offensive skill; he moves well and plays with a good approach. Slepets is an interesting player who has potential to improve his overall game and reach an NHL ceiling. - MB

Blake Murray, C (183^rd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 17)

Encouragingly, those finer points definitely took a nice step forward in 2019-20. While his explosiveness could still stand to improve, his top speed and ability to cut and change direction with the puck have been upgraded. Additionally, Murray’s willingness to use his size to his advantage without the puck became more consistent.

This bodes well for the future as he returns to Sudbury next year for his draft +2 season and will look to hit the 40-goal mark. Barring continued improvements to his skating, Murray projects as a middle six goal scoring forward. It remains to be seen whether he will be able to stick down the middle, but he has the size and touch to in traffic to be able to succeed at the pro level. - BO

MCKEENS 2020 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT – TOP 250 PROSPECTS

McKeens Hockey; Article by Ryan Wagman — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 11:50:55 +0000

I write these words less than 24 hours after the Dallas Stars took game one of the Stanley Cup Finals against the heavily favored Tampa Bay Lightning. Unlike most seasons wherein the end of the Stanley Cup marks the beginning of off-season player movement, this year teams have taken an early start to the transactional Ferris wheel as many expect the upcoming offseason (from the awarding of the Cup, through to the draft in the first week of October to the start of the 2020-21 season perhaps as soon as early December, pending COVID trends in North America) to be especially turbulent.

We have seen a few trades of NHL pieces, one deal which impacted this guidebook, as Toronto sent Kasperi Kapanen to Pittsburgh and Swedish winger Filip Hallander was among those coming back to Toronto. Hallander was our selection for the second-best prospect in the Penguins system and now holds that title for the Maple Leafs. That trade knocked the Penguins down a few slots on our organizational rankings and allowed Toronto to go the other way accordingly.

Of course, with the draft roughly 17 days away, and with it a complete re-shuffling of the organizational rankings, this is just a snapshot in time of how every team’s system shakes up. We will re-run this list, incorporating the drafted players, in our pre-season fantasy guide, where we will expand the lists up to 20.

What you are about to dive into is a comprehensive list of all prospect eligible players on all 31 teams. To hold prospect eligibility, a player needs to 25 or younger, as of September 15, 2020. All skaters need to have played less than 60 career games, with no more than 35 of those games coming in a single season (or 25 for this past shortened season). For goalies, the age criteria remain the same, but the games played benchmark drops to 30 career games and 20 in a given season (or 15 last year). Any cutoff that does not hew exactly to the Calder Trophy award criteria is, by nature, arbitrary, but we aim to be inclusive for all players who have not yet cemented NHL jobs and/or have not had a prolonged chance to prove himself capable – or incapable.

We rank 15 per team, as depth is as important as the high end. Our goal is to identify players who could – if they have an advocate for them within the team’s braintrust – play a role in the NHL. These players were identified through our thorough vetting of each prospect across the globe, assigning scores, or grades, to five areas for skaters (skating, shot, puck skills, smarts, physicality) and six for netminders (athleticism/speed/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, positioning/technique, rebound control, and puck handling). Depending on the position, the grades are run through an algorithm to come up with an overall future projection (OFP).

The OFP, if the scout is being honest, measures the future role we anticipate the prospect being able to hold. A 50 score is the lower threshold to be a regular 4^th line forward, or bottom pairing defender. Grades over 56 are potential top line/pairing skaters. The grades in between, obviously project to the middle of the lineup.

As we are reminded every year, development is not linear. Some players take unexpected sudden leaps forward (see Marino, John), and others stagnate (see Ho-Sang, Josh), and many do exactly what we expect of them when they are given the chance. As much as I trust the analysts in our team, I can also tell you that this exercise is always humbling. There will be at least one player who we rate highly who bombs. There will be at least one player who did not feature on his team’s top 15 who becomes an NHL regular next year. We accept those errors in judgment and promise you, our faithful subscriber, that we will learn from them and refine our work for next year, as we learn just as NHL teams learn.

Until then, please enjoy this snapshot view of the future of the beautiful, frozen game. Putting this together has provided at least some sense of normalcy during this crazy summer.

NHL	RNK	PLAYER	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	Acquired
Ana	1	Trevor Zegras	C	19	6-0/170	Boston University (HE)	`19(9th)
Min	2	Kirill Kaprizov	LW	23	5-10/200	CSKA (KHL)	`15(135th)
Col	3	Bowen Byram	D	19	6-0/195	Vancouver (WHL)	`19(4th)
Buf	4	Dylan Cozens	C	19	6-3/185	Lethbridge (WHL)	`19(7th)
Fla	5	Spencer Knight	G	19	6-3/195	Boston College (HE)	`19(13th)
VGK	6	Peyton Krebs	C	19	5-11/180	Winnipeg (WHL)	`19(17th)
Ari	7	Victor Soderstrom	D	19	5-11/180	Brynas (Swe)	`19(11th)
Mtl	8	Cole Caufield	RW	19	5-7/165	Wisconsin (B1G)	`19(15th)
Van	9	Vasili Podkolzin	RW	19	6-1/190	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	`19(10th)
Edm	10	Philip Broberg	D	19	6-3/200	Skelleftea AIK (Swe)	`19(8th)
Tor	11	Nick Robertson	LW	19	5-9/160	Peterborough (OHL)	`19(53rd)
Col	12	Alex Newhook	C	19	5-10/195	Boston College (HE)	`19(16th)
Det	13	Moritz Seider	D	19	6-3/185	Grand Rapids (AHL)	`19(6th)
Fla	14	Grigori Denisenko	LW	20	5-11/185	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	`18(15th)
Min	15	Matthew Boldy	LW	19	6-1/190	Boston College (HE)	`19(12th)
NJ	16	Ty Smith	D	20	5-10/180	Spokane (WHL)	`18(17th)
LA	17	Alex Turcotte	C	19	5-11/185	Wisconsin (B1G)	`19(5th)
Nsh	18	Philip Tomasino	C	19	5-11/180	Nia-Osh (OHL)	`19(24th)
Pit	19	Samuel Poulin	LW	19	6-1/205	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	`19(21st)
Wsh	20	Connor McMichael	C	19	5-11/175	London (OHL)	`19(25th)
LA	21	Gabriel Vilardi	RW	21	6-3/200	Ontario (AHL)	`17(11th)
NYR	22	Igor Shesterkin	G	24	6-1/190	Hartford (AHL)	`14(118th)
Dal	23	Thomas Harley	D	19	6-3/190	Mississauga (OHL)	`19(18th)
Ari	24	Barrett Hayton	C	20	6-1/190	Arizona (NHL)	`18(5th)
NYR	25	Nils Lundkvist	D	20	5-11/180	Lulea (Swe)	`18(28th)
LA	26	Arthur Kaliyev	RW	19	6-2/190	Hamilton (OHL)	`19(33rd)
Cgy	27	Juuso Valimaki	D	21	6-2/205	DNP - Injured	`17(16th)
Det	28	Jared McIsaac	D	20	6-1/195	Hal-Mon (QMJHL)	`18(36th)
NYR	29	Vitali Kravtsov	RW	20	6-3/185	Hartford (AHL)	`18(9th)
Edm	30	Evan Bouchard	D	20	6-2/195	Bakersfield (AHL)	`18(10th)
NYR	31	K'Andre Miller	D	20	6-3/205	Wisconsin (B1G)	`18(22nd)
Edm	32	Raphael Lavoie	RW	19	6-4/195	Hal-Chi (QMJHL)	`19(38th)
NYI	33	Ilya Sorokin	G	25	6-2/180	CSKA (KHL)	`14(78th)
Det	34	Albert Johansson	D	19	5-11/165	Farjestads (Swe)	`19(60th)
Ari	35	Matias Maccelli	LW	19	5-11/170	Ilves Tampere (Fin)	`19(98th)
Van	36	Nils Hoglander	RW	19	5-9/185	Rogle (Swe)	`19(40th)
Ari	37	Jan Jenik	RW	20	6-1/180	Hamilton (OHL)	`18(65th)
Phi	38	Cam York	D	19	5-11/175	Michigan (B1G)	`19(14th)
Phi	39	Morgan Frost	C	21	5-11/180	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	`17(27th)
Ana	40	Lukas Dostal	G	20	6-1/170	Ilves Tampere (Fin)	`18(85th)
LA	41	Tobias Bjornfot	D	19	6-0/200	Ontario (AHL)	`19(22nd)
SJ	42	Ryan Merkley	D	20	5-11/170	London (OHL)	`18(21st)
NYI	43	Kieffer Bellows	LW	22	6-0/200	Bridgeport (AHL)	`16(19th)
NYI	44	Oliver Wahlstrom	RW	20	6-1/205	Bridgeport (AHL)	`18(11th)
LA	45	Rasmus Kupari	C	20	6-1/185	Ontario (AHL)	`18(20th)
CBJ	46	Liam Foudy	C	20	6-0/175	London (OHL)	`18(18th)
LA	47	Tyler Madden	C	20	5-10/155	Northeastern (HE)	T(Van-2/20)
Mtl	48	Alexander Romanov	D	20	5-11/185	CSKA (KHL)	`18(38th)
NYI	49	Bode Wilde	D	20	6-2/195	Bridgeport (AHL)	`18(41st)
Ott	50	Jacob Bernard-Docker	D	20	6-0/180	North Dakota (NCHC)	`18(26th)
Cgy	51	Jakob Pelletier	LW	19	5-9/165	Moncton (QMJHL)	`19(26th)
LA	52	Akil Thomas	C	20	5-11/170	Nia-Pbo (OHL)	`18(51st)
Wpg	53	Dylan Samberg	D	21	6-3/190	Minn-Duluth (NCHC)	`17(43rd)
Chi	54	Ian Mitchell	D	21	5-11/175	Denver (NCHC)	`17(57th)
Ott	55	Josh Norris	C	21	6-1/195	Belleville (AHL)	T(SJ-9/18)
NYR	56	Matthew Robertson	D	19	6-3/200	Edmonton (WHL)	`19(49th)
VGK	57	Pavel Dorofeyev	LW	19	6-1/170	Magnitogorsk (KHL)	`19(79th)
Dal	58	Jake Oettinger	G	21	6-4/210	Texas (AHL)	`17(26th)
Ott	59	Drake Batherson	RW	22	6-1/190	Belleville (AHL)	`17(121st)
LA	60	Samuel Fagemo	RW	20	6-0/195	Frolunda (Swe)	`19(50th)
Col	61	Justus Annunen	G	20	6-4/215	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	`18(64th)
Bos	62	John Beecher	C	19	6-3/210	Michigan (B1G)	`19(30th)
Phi	63	Egor Zamula	D	20	6-4/175	Calgary (WHL)	FA(9/18)
NYR	64	Zac Jones	D	19	5-10/175	Massachusetts (HE)	`19(68th)
CBJ	65	Kirill Marchenko	LW	20	6-3/190	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	`18(49th)
VGK	66	Jack Dugan	RW	22	6-2/185	Providence (HE)	`17(142nd)
StL	67	Scott Perunovich	D	22	5-10/175	Minn-Duluth (NCHC)	`18(45th)
Bos	68	Jack Studnicka	C	21	6-1/170	Providence (AHL)	`17(53rd)
Dal	69	Ty Dellandrea	C	20	6-0/185	Flint (OHL)	`18(13th)
Min	70	Calen Addison	D	20	5-10/180	Lethbridge (WHL)	T(Pit-2/20)
NYR	71	Julien Gauthier	RW	22	6-4/225	Charlotte (AHL)	T(Car-2/20)
Van	72	Olli Juolevi	D	22	6-3/200	Utica (AHL)	`16(5th)
NJ	73	Nolan Foote	LW	19	6-3/190	Kelowna (WHL)	T(TB-2/20)
NJ	74	Janne Kuokkanen	LW	22	6-1/190	Cha-Bng (AHL)	T(Car-2/20)
Ott	75	Alex Formenton	LW	21	6-2/165	Belleville (AHL)	`17(47th)
Det	76	Robert Mastrosimone	LW	19	5-10/160	Boston University (HE)	`19(54th)
NYR	77	Morgan Barron	C	21	6-2/200	Cornell (ECAC)	`17(174th)
Mtl	78	Jesse Ylonen	RW	20	6-1/185	Pelicans (Fin)	`18(35th)
Car	79	Dominik Bokk	RW	20	6-1/180	Rogle (Swe)	T(StL-9/19)
Nsh	80	Egor Afanasyev	RW	19	6-3/205	Windsor (OHL)	`19(45th)
Ana	81	Benoit-Olivier Groulx	C	20	6-1/195	Hal-Mon (QMJHL)	`18(54th)
Min	82	Alexander Khovanov	C	20	5-11/195	Moncton (QMJHL)	`18(86th)
Det	83	Joe Veleno	C	20	6-1/195	Grand Rapids (AHL)	`18(30th)
NJ	84	Kevin Bahl	D	20	6-6/230	Ottawa (OHL)	T(Ari-12/19)
Car	85	Ryan Suzuki	C	19	6-0/180	Bar-Sag (OHL)	`19(28th)
Van	86	Jett Woo	D	20	6-0/205	Calgary (WHL)	`18(37th)
Mtl	87	Mattias Norlinder	D	20	5-11/180	MODO (Swe 2)	`19(64th)
Min	88	Adam Beckman	LW	19	6-1/170	Spokane (WHL)	`19(75th)
Bos	89	Jeremy Swayman	G	21	6-1/190	Maine (HE)	`17(111th)
Wpg	90	Kristian Vesalainen	LW	21	6-3/205	Manitoba (AHL)	`17(24th)
Tor	91	Filip Hallander	LW	20	6-1/185	Lulea (Swe)	T(Pit-8/20)
Fla	92	Owen Tippett	RW	21	6-1/200	Springfield (AHL)	`17(10th)
Car	93	Jake Bean	D	22	6-1/175	Charlotte (AHL)	`16(13th)
Ott	94	Shane Pinto	C	19	6-2/190	North Dakota (NCHC)	`19(32nd)
Col	95	Martin Kaut	RW	20	6-1/175	Colorado (AHL)	`18(16th)
Van	96	Jack Rathbone	D	21	5-10/175	Harvard (ECAC)	`17(95th)
Tor	97	Nick Abruzzese	C	21	5-9/160	Harvard (ECAC)	`19(124th)
Bos	98	Urho Vaakanainen	D	21	6-0/185	Providence (AHL)	`17(18th)
Wsh	99	Alexander Alexeyev	D	20	6-3/200	Hershey (AHL)	`18(31st)
NYI	100	Simon Holmstrom	RW	19	6-1/185	Bridgeport (AHL)	`19(23rd)
LA	101	Jaret Anderson-Dolan	C	21	5-11/190	Ontario (AHL)	`17(41st)
Car	102	Joey Keane	D	21	6-0/185	Hfd-Cha (AHL)	T(NYR-2/20)
Wsh	103	Martin Fehervary	D	20	6-1/190	Hershey (AHL)	`18(46th)
StL	104	Tyler Tucker	D	20	6-1/205	Bar-Fnt (OHL)	`18(200th)
SJ	105	Yegor Spiridonov	C	19	6-2/195	Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk (MHL)	`19(108th)
NJ	106	Joey Anderson	RW	22	6-0/195	Binghamton (AHL)	`16(73rd)
Col	107	Conor Timmins	D	21	6-1/185	Colorado (AHL)	`17(32nd)
StL	108	Klim Kostin	C	21	6-3/195	San Antonio (AHL)	`17(31st)
Mtl	109	Cayden Primeau	G	21	6-3/180	Laval (AHL)	`17(199th)
SJ	110	Jonathan Dahlen	LW	22	5-11/185	Timra IK (Swe 2)	T(Van-2/19)
NJ	111	Reilly Walsh	D	21	5-11/180	Harvard (ECAC)	`17(81st)
Buf	112	Oskari Laaksonen	D	21	6-2/165	Ilves Tampere (Fin)	`17(89th)
NJ	113	Arseni Gritsyuk	RW	19	5-10/170	Omskie Yastreby (MHL)	`19(129th)
Wsh	114	Aliaksei Protas	C	19	6-5/205	Prince Albert (WHL)	`19(91st)
Cgy	115	Dustin Wolf	G	19	6-0/165	Everett (WHL)	`19(214th)
StL	116	Joel Hofer	G	20	6-3/160	Portland (WHL)	`18(107th)
VGK	117	Ivan Morozov	C	20	6-1/180	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	`18(61st)
Mtl	118	Jake Evans	C	24	6-0/185	Laval (AHL)	`14(207th)
Nsh	119	Eeli Tolvanen	RW	21	5-10/175	Milwaukee (AHL)	`17(30th)
Wpg	120	Ville Heinola	D	19	5-11/180	Lukko Rauma (Fin)	`19(20th)
VGK	121	Lucas Elvenes	RW	21	6-0/175	Chicago (AHL)	`17(127th)
TB	122	Cole Koepke	LW	22	6-1/195	Minn-Duluth (NCHC)	`18(183rd)
Ana	123	Isac Lundestrom	C	20	6-0/185	San Diego (AHL)	`18(23rd)
NYR	124	Tarmo Reunanen	D	22	6-0/180	Lukko Rauma (Fin)	`16(98th)
Mtl	125	Jordan Harris	D	20	5-11/180	Northeastern (HE)	`18(71st)
Ana	126	Brayden Tracey	LW	19	6-0/175	MJ-Vic (WHL)	`19(29th)
Phi	127	Tanner Laczynski	C	23	6-1/200	Ohio State (B1G)	`16(169th)
Chi	128	Alec Regula	D	20	6-3/200	London (OHL)	T(Det-10/19)
Buf	129	Mattias Samuelsson	D	20	6-3/215	Western Michigan (NCHC)	`18(32nd)
Car	130	Jamieson Rees	C	19	5-10/175	Sarnia (OHL)	`19(44th)
Edm	131	Olivier Rodrigue	G	20	6-1/165	Moncton (QMJHL)	`18(62nd)
Fla	132	Serron Noel	RW	20	6-5/205	Osh-Kit (OHL)	`18(34th)
Det	133	Antti Tuomisto	D	19	6-4/190	Assat Pori (Fin Jr)	`19(35th)
Dal	134	Jason Robertson	LW	21	6-2/195	Texas (AHL)	`17(39th)
Mtl	135	Joni Ikonen	C	21	5-10/170	DNP - Injured	`17(58th)
Nsh	136	Rem Pitlick	C	23	5-11/200	Milwaukee (AHL)	`16(76th)
Ott	137	Logan Brown	C	22	6-6/220	Belleville (AHL)	`16(11th)
TB	138	Samuel Walker	C	21	5-11/160	Minnesota (B1G)	`17(200th)
Phi	139	Wade Allison	RW	22	6-2/205	Western Michigan (NCHC)	`16(52nd)
Wpg	140	Declan Chisholm	D	20	6-1/190	Peterborough (OHL)	`18(150th)
NJ	141	Tyce Thompson	RW	21	6-1/180	Providence (HE)	`19(96th)
VGK	142	Connor Corcoran	D	20	6-1/185	Windsor (OHL)	`18(154th)
Ana	143	Jackson Lacombe	D	19	6-1/170	Minnesota (B1G)	`19(39th)
NYR	144	Lauri Pajuniemi	RW	21	6-0/185	TPS Turku (Fin)	`18(132nd)
Car	145	Tuukka Tieksola	RW	19	5-10/160	Karpat Oulu (Fin Jr)	`19(121st)
CBJ	146	Andrew Peeke	D	22	6-3/210	Cleveland (AHL)	`16(34th)
Ana	147	Axel Andersson	D	20	6-0/180	Moncton (QMJHL)	T(Bos-2/20)
Car	148	Patrik Puistola	LW	19	6-0/175	Tap-Juk-Koo (Fin)	`19(73rd)
NJ	149	Michael McLeod	C	22	6-2/195	Binghamton (AHL)	`16(12th)
Car	150	Pyotr Kochetkov	G	21	6-1/175	SKA-VIT (KHL)	`19(36th)
NJ	151	Michael Vukojevic	D	19	6-3/210	Kitchener (OHL)	`19(82nd)
NYI	152	Ruslan Iskhakov	C	20	5-8/155	UConn (HE)	`18(43rd)
Wpg	153	Sami Niku	D	23	6-0/175	Manitoba (AHL)	`15(198th)
TB	154	Hugo Alnefelt	G	19	6-3/195	HV 71 (Swe)	`19(71st)
NJ	155	Nikita Okhotyuk	D	19	6-1/195	Ottawa (OHL)	`19(61st)
NYR	156	Hunter Skinner	D	19	6-2/175	London (OHL)	`19(112th)
LA	157	Mikey Anderson	D	21	6-0/195	Ontario (AHL)	`17(103rd)
Col	158	Shane Bowers	C	21	6-2/190	Colorado (AHL)	T(Ott-11/17)
NYI	159	Joshua Ho-Sang	RW	24	6-0/175	Bri-SA (AHL)	`14(28th)
LA	160	Cal Petersen	G	25	6-3/190	Ontario (AHL)	FA(7/17)
Col	161	Sampo Ranta	LW	20	6-2/205	Minnesota (B1G)	`18(78th)
Wpg	162	Mikhail Berdin	G	22	6-2/165	Manitoba (AHL)	`16(157th)
Bos	163	Jeremy Lauzon	D	23	6-3/205	Providence (AHL)	`15(52nd)
Nsh	164	David Farrance	D	21	5-11/190	Boston University (HE)	`17(92nd)
Van	165	Will Lockwood	RW	22	5-11/175	Michigan (B1G)	`16(64th)
NYI	166	Sebastian Aho	D	24	5-10/175	Bridgeport (AHL)	`17(139th)
Wpg	167	Logan Stanley	D	22	6-7/225	Manitoba (AHL)	`16(18th)
Buf	168	Ryan Johnson	D	19	6-0/175	Minnesota (B1G)	`19(31st)
Van	169	Michael DiPietro	G	21	6-0/195	Utica (AHL)	`17(64th)
VGK	170	Kaedan Korczak	D	19	6-3/190	Kelowna (WHL)	`19(41st)
Car	171	Jack Drury	C	20	5-11/180	Harvard (ECAC)	`18(42nd)
StL	172	Nikita Alexandrov	C	19	6-0/180	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	`19(62nd)
Col	173	Nikolai Kovalenko	RW	20	5-10/175	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	`18(171st)
Nsh	174	Juuso Parssinen	C	19	6-2/205	TPS Turku (Fin)	`19(210th)
Chi	175	Pius Suter	C	24	5-11/170	ZSC Lions (NLA)	FA(7/20)
Fla	176	Aleksi Saarela	RW	23	5-11/200	Rfd-Spr (AHL)	T(Chi-10/19)
Bos	177	Trent Frederic	C	22	6-4/215	Providence (AHL)	`16(29th)
CBJ	178	Dmitri Voronkov	LW	20	6-4/190	Ak Bars Kazan (KHL)	`19(114th)
Ott	179	Lassi Thomson	D	19	6-0/190	Ilves Tampere (Fin)	`19(19th)
Car	180	Morgan Geekie	C	22	6-2/180	Charlotte (AHL)	`17(67th)
CBJ	181	Trey Fix-Wolansky	RW	21	5-8/185	Cleveland (AHL)	`18(204th)
Ott	182	Vitaly Abramov	RW	22	5-9/175	Belleville (AHL)	T(CBJ-2/19)
TB	183	Alexander Volkov	LW	23	6-1/190	Syracuse (AHL)	`17(48th)
Tor	184	Mikko Kokkonen	D	19	5-11/200	Jukurit (Fin)	`19(84th)
Ott	185	Kevin Mandolese	G	20	6-4/180	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	`18(157th)
CBJ	186	Daniil Tarasov	G	21	6-5/185	Assat Pori (Fin)	`17(86th)
LA	187	Carl Grundstrom	LW	22	6-0/195	Ontario (AHL)	T(Tor-1/19)
LA	188	Kale Clague	D	22	6-0/180	Ontario (AHL)	`16(51st)
Ott	189	Artyom Zub	D	24	6-2/200	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	FA(5/20)
Edm	190	Tyler Benson	LW	22	6-0/200	Bakersfield (AHL)	`16(32nd)
Det	191	Jonatan Berggren	RW	20	5-10/185	Skelleftea AIK (Swe)	`18(33rd)
Tor	192	Yegor Korshkov	RW	24	6-4/215	Toronto (AHL)	`16(31st)
Dal	193	Riley Damiani	C	20	5-9/165	Kitchener (OHL)	`18(137th)
VGK	194	Zach Whitecloud	D	23	6-2/210	Chicago (AHL)	FA(3/18)
Buf	195	Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen	G	21	6-4/195	Cincinnati (ECHL)	`17(54th)
Car	196	David Cotton	LW	23	6-3/205	Boston College (HE)	`15(169th)
Chi	197	Wyatt Kalynuk	D	23	6-1/180	Wisconsin (B1G)	FA(7/20)
Min	198	Hunter Jones	G	19	6-4/195	Peterborough (OHL)	`19(59th)
LA	199	Jordan Spence	D	19	5-10/165	Moncton (QMJHL)	`19(95th)
Cgy	200	Dmitri Zavgorodny	LW	20	5-9/175	Rimouski (QMJHL)	`18(198th)
Col	201	Alex Beaucage	RW	19	6-1/195	Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL)	`19(78th)
TB	202	Dmitri Semykin	D	20	6-3/200	SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)	`18(90th)
CBJ	203	Matiss Kivlenieks	G	24	6-2/190	Cleveland (AHL)	FA(5/17)
StL	204	Ville Husso	G	25	6-3/205	San Antonio (AHL)	`14(94th)
Phi	205	Bobby Brink	RW	19	5-10/165	Denver (NCHC)	`19(34th)
NYI	206	Otto Koivula	C	22	6-4/220	Bridgeport (AHL)	`16(120th)
Car	207	Eetu Makiniemi	G	21	6-2/180	KOOVEE (Fin 2)	`17(104th)
NYI	208	Anatoli Golyshev	RW	25	5-8/180	Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg (KHL)	`16(95th)
Chi	209	Evan Barratt	C	21	6-0/190	Penn State (B1G)	`17(90th)
Buf	210	Erik Portillo	G	20	6-6/210	Dubuque (USHL)	`19(67th)
Fla	211	Cole Schwindt	RW	19	6-2/185	Mississauga (OHL)	`19(81st)
Chi	212	Michal Teply	LW	19	6-3/185	Winnipeg (WHL)	`19(105th)
Ott	213	Mads Sogaard	G	19	6-7/195	Medicine Hat (WHL)	`19(37th)
Buf	214	Jonas Johansson	G	24	6-4/205	Rochester (AHL)	`14(61st)
TB	215	Cal Foote	D	21	6-4/215	Syracuse (AHL)	`17(14th)
StL	216	Niko Mikkola	D	24	6-5/200	San Antonio (AHL)	`15(127th)
NYI	217	Robin Salo	D	21	6-1/190	SaiPa (Fin)	`17(46th)
Bos	218	Jakub Zboril	D	23	6-1/200	Providence (AHL)	`15(13th)
Buf	219	Will Borgen	D	23	6-2/200	Rochester (AHL)	`15(92nd)
Pit	220	Pierre-Olivier Joseph	D	21	6-2/170	Wilkes-Barre (AHL)	`17(23rd)
SJ	221	Sasha Chmelevski	C	21	5-11/190	San Jose (AHL)	`17(185th)
Ari	222	Kyle Capobianco	D	23	6-1/180	Tucson (AHL)	`15(63rd)
Det	223	Keith Petruzzelli	G	21	6-5/180	Quinnipiac (ECAC)	`17(88th)
Wsh	224	Garrett Pilon	RW	22	5-11/190	Hershey (AHL)	`16(87th)
NJ	225	Nikola Pasic	RW	19	5-10/185	Karlskoga (Swe 2)	`19(189th)
TB	226	Alex Barre-Boulet	C	23	5-10/165	Syracuse (AHL)	FA(3/18)
Edm	227	Ryan McLeod	C	20	6-2/205	Bakersfield (AHL)	`18(40th)
NYI	228	Samuel Bolduc	D	19	6-3/210	BLB-She (QMJHL)	`19(57th)
Ott	229	Joey Daccord	G	24	6-2/195	Belleville (AHL)	`15(199th)
StL	230	Hugh McGing	C	22	5-9/180	Western Michigan (NCHC)	`18(138th)
Edm	231	Cooper Marody	C	23	6-0/180	Bakersfield (AHL)	T(Phi-3/18)
Tor	232	Jeremy Bracco	RW	23	5-9/180	Toronto (AHL)	`15(61st)
Phi	233	German Rubtsov	C	22	6-2/190	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	`16(22nd)
Wsh	234	Brian Pinho	C	25	6-1/195	Hershey (AHL)	`13(174th)
Col	235	Logan O'Connor	RW	24	6-0/170	Colorado (AHL)	FA(7/18)
Buf	236	Casey Fitzgerald	D	23	5-11/190	Rochester (AHL)	`16(86th)
NJ	237	Daniil Misyul	D	19	6-3/180	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	`19(70th)
Ari	238	John Farinacci	C	19	5-11/185	Harvard (ECAC)	`19(76th)
Edm	239	Aapeli Rasanen	C	22	6-0/195	Boston College (HE)	`16(153rd)
Pit	240	Anthony Angello	RW	24	6-5/205	Wilkes-Barre (AHL)	`14(145th)
Mtl	241	Cam Hillis	C	20	5-10/170	Guelph (OHL)	`18(66th)
Cgy	242	Mathias Emilio Pettersen	RW	20	5-9/170	Denver (NCHC)	`18(167th)
SJ	243	Alexander True	C	23	6-5/205	San Jose (AHL)	FA(7/18)
NYI	244	Reece Newkirk	C	19	5-11/175	Portland (WHL)	`19(147th)
Dal	245	Dawson Barteaux	D	20	6-0/180	RD-Wpg (WHL)	`18(168th)
Bos	246	Jack Ahcan	D	23	5-8/185	St. Cloud State (NCHC)	FA(3/20)
Det	247	Seth Barton	D	21	6-2/175	Mass-Lowell (HE)	`18(81st)
Fla	248	Max Gildon	D	21	6-3/190	New Hampshire (HE)	`17(66th)
Ari	249	Aku Raty	RW	19	6-0/175	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	`19(151st)
Wpg	250	David Gustafsson	C	20	6-1/195	Winnipeg (NHL)	`18(60th)

McKeen’s Choice Awards: Finland

Marco Bombino — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 17:29:01 +0000

Marco Bombino Finland-based Choice Awards

Continuing our series on the top 2019 NHL Draft prospects comparing skills in multiple categories and selecting the best in each territory.

Best Skater – Leevi Aaltonen

Given his explosiveness, shiftiness and mobility, Aaltonen could develop into an elite skater at the pro level. He can make sudden changes of direction with the puck, leaving defensemen in the dust. He moves well laterally and there is no other draft eligible Finn who can match his speed, either.

Also Considered: Anttoni Honka, Antti Saarela

Kaapo Kakko

Most Skilled – Kaapo Kakko

Kakko has the ability to dominate shifts for long periods and control the game in the offensive zone, bringing fans out of their seats with highlight reel goals. He is a threat from anywhere in the final third - he can beat goalies from a distance or around the net. Kakko has very good balance and is extremely skilled and shifty in tight spaces.

Also Considered: Patrik Puistola, Tuukka Tieksola, Anttoni Honka

Best Shot – Patrik Puistola

Puistola has a special finishing ability. While doesn't have the hardest shot, it is highly accurate and he can pick his spots well. He can score with a wrister, one-timer or backhander. He goes to the net regularly and has a goal-scorer's touch around the cage.

Also Considered: Kaapo Kakko, Antti Saarela, Wiljami Myllylä, Antti Tuomisto

Hardest to Play Against - Kaapo Kakko

Kakko blends high-end skill and tremendous will which makes him nearly impossible to stop in the offensive zone. He uses his size to his advantage and already protects the puck like an NHLer. What's more, he works hard in all three zones, backhecking furiously and playing with the same effort every time he steps on the ice.

Also Considered: Patrik Puistola, Antti Tuomisto

Ville Heinola of Finland ahead of the U20 ice hockey game between Finland and Canada on December 23, 2018 in Vancouver.
Photo: Joel Marklund / BILDBYRÅN

Best Hockey Sense – Ville Heinola

Heinola has an excellent understanding of the game. For a 17-year-old defenseman playing in a men's league, he made few mistakes on either side of the puck. He moves the puck precisely and into good spots, and he plays with a lot of poise and confidence. He compensates his lack of physicality with an active and timely stick.

Also Considered: Kaapo Kakko, Matias Mäntykivi, Antti Tuomisto, Juuso Pärssinen, Tuukka Tieksola

Best Playmaker - Tuukka Tieksola

Tieksola is a prototypical playmaking winger. He is an excellent passer who sees the entire ice and finds cross-ice seams, both on the power play and even strength. He has the poise to keep the puck for an extra moment before dishing the puck in a timely manner to an open teammate.

Also Considered: Matias Mäntykivi, Kaapo Kakko, Ville Heinola

Best Stickhandler – Kaapo Kakko

Kakko has tremendous puck control and can make plays in traffic with limited time and space. He can be very deceptive with the puck and make defensemen look foolish in 1-on-1's. Patrik Puistola is also a high-end stickhandler, but I think Kakko is still a notch above him.

Also Considered: Patrik Puistola, Tuukka Tieksola

Best Defensive Forward – Juuso Pärssinen

Pärssinen plays a strong, dependable three-zone game. He reads the game well and is proactive without the puck, being in the right position before the play develops. He has good defensive awareness and intercepts passes regularly in the defensive zone.

Also Considered: Aku Räty

UMEA, SWEDEN - APRIL 21: Finland's Santeri Hatakka #6 stickhandles the puck against Czech Republic's Radek Kucerik #20 falls to the ice during the preliminary round of the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at A3 Arena on April 21, 2019 in Umea, Sweden. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Best Defensive Defenseman – Santeri Hatakka

There was not much competition for this award. In a Finnish draft crop featuring many offensively talented defensemen, Hatakka brings different elements to the table. He has a good stick and closes gaps quickly, can play the body and be tough to get around. Has the feet and strength to defend and shut down opposing forwards. Hatakka is excellent on the penalty kill, too.

Also Considered: Mikko Kokkonen, Valtteri Pulli

Fastest Skater – Leevi Aaltonen

Aaltonen has excellent quickness in his first few strides and makes plays at top speed – the puck does not slow him down. This is part of what makes Aaltonen a good penalty killer. He is also quick to recover pucks at both ends of the ice.

Also Considered: Joonas Oden

Best Goalie – Jasper Patrikainen

Patrikainen got off to a terrific start with Pelicans in his first full U20 season. There were some consistency issues since January, but he looked more like his usual self in the playoffs. Patrikainen is a calm and quick goalie who reads shooters effectively. He has strong net coverage and seals the posts when needed. His tehnique requires some polishing, but I like the 2000 born netminder a lot.

MCKEEN’S 2019 NHL DRAFT GUIDE: Final Rankings – Top 217 Plus 100 Honourable Mention

Iain Morrell — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 17:52:23 +0000

MCKEEN'S RELEASES FINAL 2019 NHL DRAFT RANKINGS

KOSICE, SLOVAKIA - MAY 13: USA's Jack Hughes #6 and Finland's Kaapo Kakko #24 shake hands following a 3-2 overtime win for team USA during preliminary round action of the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship at Steel Arena on May 13, 2019 in Kosice, Slovakia. (Photo by Matt Zambonin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

American center Jack Hughes or Finnish Winger Kaapo Kakko?

That is the decision facing the New Jersey Devils who won the draft lottery for the second time in the past three seasons and hold the top pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

Hughes (5-foot-10, 170 pounds) led the USA Hockey National Team Development Program under-18 team in scoring while setting the NTDP career record for assists (154) and points (228) in two seasons (110 games) with the program.

He earned the highest Overall Future Projection (OFP) score of 64.50, as per the 20/80 grading system developed by McKeen's Director of Scouting Ryan Wagman.

Skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ, physicality - these are the attributes measured for skaters using the 20/80 grading system to arrive at an Overall Future Projection (OFP) score.

Six areas are assessed for goalies: athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling.

BROADWAY KAAPO

Kakko (6-foot-2, 195 pounds) earned the next highest OFP score at 64.00.

The Turku, Finland native will go to the New York Rangers with the second pick, their highest draft position since taking Brad Park in 1966 before expansion (1967-68).

Kakko led Finland with six goals while winning gold at the 2019 World Championships at just 18 years, 102 days old to become the youngest player in IIHF history to win gold at the Under-18, Under-20, and WM (World Men) levels, supplanting Connor McDavid of Canada (19 years, 130 days) from the record books.

The Chicago Blackhawks have the number three pick with the top defenseman Bowen Byram of the Vancouver Giants next on the McKeen's OFP scale (63.40).

Seven players in total received OFP scores of at least 60.00 this season, up from five in 2018 - and just two in 2017 when the Devils selected Nino Hischier first overall.

The next five spots in the rankings are all centers - Kirby Dach of Saskatoon (63.20 OFP), Dylan Cozens of Lethbridge (61.40), the NTDP duo of Trevor Zegras (61.25) and Alex Turcotte (60.00), and Peyton Krebs of Kootenay (59.65).

ALL AMERICAN

Spencer Knight. Photo courtesy of the USNTDP.

Spencer Knight of the NTDP is the top-rated goaltender available (55.75 OFP) at No. 32 in the McKeen's rankings.

Knight will likely go in the opening round of what will be a record haul for the U.S. National Team Development Program as upwards of eight players could be taken in the top 31 selections.

As for past records, the Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL) had four players taken in the opening round of the 1979 NHL Draft - as did the Toronto Marlboros (OHA) in 1972 and the Montreal Junior Canadiens (OHA) in 1969.

Along with Hughes (1st), Zegras (6th), and Turcotte (7th), wingers Matthew Boldy and Cole Caufield are ranked at No. 12 and 13 on the McKeen's list, with defenseman Cam York at No. 17 and center John Beecher at 30th.

Caufield (5-foot-7, 165 pounds) scored 14 goals at the U18 World Junior Championship, tying Alex Ovechkin's single-tournament goals record. However, the United States lost in a shootout to Russia in the semi-finals.

There are also four others in the program ranked in the 32 to 62 range (second round) - all defensemen - Marshall Warren (35th), Alex Vlasic (54th), Henry Thrun (58th) and Drew Helleson (62nd).

In total, 16 players from the NTDP are ranked among the top 100.

SWEDE GOLD - SWEET SEIDER

ORNSKOLDSVIK, SWEDEN - APRIL 23: Swedens Philip Broberg #4 makes a pass during preliminary round action against Russia at the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Fjallraven Center on April 23, 2019 in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden. (Photo by Steve Kingsman/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Sweden won a first-ever gold medal at the U18 World Juniors.

Four blueliners on that Swedish team are first-round candidates led by Philip Broberg of AIK, named 'Top Defenceman' at the U18 tournament, and Victor Soderstrom of Brynas, ranked No. 9 and 10 respectively on McKeen's.

U18 captain Tobias Bjornfot of Djurgardens is ranked 19th and Albert Johansson of Farjestads is 26th.

Following Dominik Bokk's selection in 2018 (25th to St. Louis), Germany will produce another first-round pick this year in Adler Mannheim defenseman Moritz Seider.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pound, right-shot blueliner displayed impressive skills and maturity for his age while appearing at the 2019 World Championships (5-2-0-2).

Seider earned an OFP score of 57.50 and is ranked No. 15.

He will become the highest-selected German-born player at the NHL Draft since the Edmonton Oilers took Leon Draisaitl third overall in 2014.

Here are our final 2019 NHL Draft Rankings. They are a culmination of a season’s worth of prospect analysis and coverage on mckeenshockey.com and the tremendous work put in rinks and looking at screens and numbers from our committed team. Enjoy!

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	Nation
1	Jack Hughes	C	NTDP (USA)	5-10/170	14-May-01	USA
2	Kaapo Kakko	RW	TPS Turku (Fin)	6-2/195	13-Feb-01	Finland
3	Bowen Byram	D	Vancouver (WHL)	6-0/195	13-Jun-01	Canada
4	Kirby Dach	C	Saskatoon (WHL)	6-3/200	21-Jan-01	Canada
5	Dylan Cozens	C	Lethbridge (WHL)	6-3/185	9-Feb-01	Canada
6	Trevor Zegras	C	NTDP (USA)	6-0/170	20-Mar-01	USA
7	Alex Turcotte	C	NTDP (USA)	5-11/185	26-Feb-01	USA
8	Peyton Krebs	C	Kootenay (WHL)	5-11/180	26-Jan-01	Canada
9	Philip Broberg	D	AIK (Swe 2)	6-3/200	25-Jun-01	Sweden
10	Victor Soderstrom	D	Brynas (Swe)	5-11/180	26-Feb-01	Sweden
11	Vasili Podkolzin	RW	SKA-1946 St. Pete. (Rus Jr)	6-1/190	24-Jun-01	Russia
12	Matthew Boldy	LW	NTDP (USA)	6-1/190	5-Apr-01	USA
13	Cole Caufield	RW	NTDP (USA)	5-7/165	2-Jan-01	USA
14	Raphael Lavoie	RW	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-4/195	25-Sep-00	Canada
15	Moritz Seider	D	Adler Mannheim (DEL)	6-3/185	6-Apr-01	Germany
16	Simon Holmstrom	RW	HV 71 (Swe Jr)	6-1/185	24-May-01	Sweden
17	Cam York	D	NTDP (USA)	5-11/175	5-Jan-01	USA
18	Alex Newhook	C	Victoria (BCHL)	5-10/195	28-Jan-01	Canada
19	Tobias Bjornfot	D	Djurgardens (Swe Jr)	6-0/200	6-Apr-01	Sweden
20	Philip Tomasino	C	Niagara (OHL)	5-11/180	28-Jul-01	Canada
21	Arthur Kaliyev	RW	Hamilton (OHL)	6-2/190	26-Jun-01	USA
22	Ryan Suzuki	C	Barrie (OHL)	6-0/180	28-May-01	Canada
23	Samuel Poulin	LW	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	6-1/205	25-Feb-01	Canada
24	Thomas Harley	D	Mississauga (OHL)	6-3/190	19-Aug-01	Canada
25	Ryan Johnson	D	Sioux Falls (USHL)	6-0/175	24-Jul-01	USA
26	Albert Johansson	D	Farjestads (Swe Jr)	5-11/165	4-Jan-01	Sweden
27	Robert Mastrosimone	LW	Chicago (USHL)	5-10/160	24-Jan-01	USA
28	Connor McMichael	C	London (OHL)	5-11/175	15-Jan-01	Canada
29	Matthew Robertson	D	Edmonton (WHL)	6-3/200	9-Mar-01	Canada
30	John Beecher	C	NTDP (USA)	6-3/210	5-Apr-01	USA
31	Pavel Dorofeyev	LW	Magnitogorsk (KHL)	6-1/170	26-Oct-00	Russia
32	Spencer Knight	G	NTDP (USA)	6-3/195	19-Apr-01	USA
33	Bobby Brink	RW	Sioux City (USHL)	5-10/165	8-Jul-01	USA
34	Brett Leason	RW	Prince Albert (WHL)	6-4/200	30-Apr-99	Canada
35	Marshall Warren	D	NTDP (USA)	5-11/170	20-Apr-01	USA
36	Egor Afanasyev	RW	Muskegon (USHL)	6-3/205	23-Jan-01	Russia
37	Ville Heinola	D	Lukko Rauma (Fin)	5-11/180	3-Feb-01	Finland
38	Nolan Foote	LW	Kelowna (WHL)	6-3/190	29-Nov-00	Canada
39	Samuel Fagemo	RW	Frolunda (Swe)	6-0/195	14-Mar-00	Sweden
40	Nick Robertson	LW	Peterborough (OHL)	5-9/160	11-Sep-01	USA
41	Nils Hoglander	RW	Rogle (Swe)	5-9/185	20-Dec-00	Sweden
42	Jamieson Rees	C	Sarnia (OHL)	5-10/175	26-Feb-01	Canada
43	Jakob Pelletier	LW	Moncton (QMJHL)	5-9/165	7-Mar-01	Canada
44	Antti Tuomisto	D	Assat Pori (Fin Jr)	6-4/190	20-Jan-01	Finland
45	Lassi Thomson	D	Kelowna (WHL)	5-11/190	24-Sep-00	Finland
46	Michal Teply	LW	Bili Tygri Liberec (Cze)	6-3/185	27-May-01	Czech
47	Brayden Tracey	LW	Moose Jaw (WHL)	6-0/175	28-May-01	Canada
48	Arseni Gritsyuk	RW	Omskie Yastreby (Rus Jr)	5-10/170	15-Mar-01	Russia
49	Yegor Chinakhov	RW	Omskie Yastreby (Rus Jr)	6-0/175	1-Feb-01	Russia
50	Mattias Norlinder	D	MoDo (Swe Jr)	5-11/180	12-Apr-00	Sweden
51	Karl Henriksson	C	Frolunda (Swe Jr)	5-9/165	5-Feb-01	Sweden
52	Vladislav Kolyachonok	D	Flint (OHL)	6-1/185	26-May-01	Belarus
53	Nikola Pasic	RW	Linkopings (Swe Jr)	5-10/185	16-Oct-00	Sweden
54	Alex Vlasic	D	NTDP (USA)	6-6/200	5-Jun-01	USA
55	Pyotr Kochetkov	G	HK Ryazan (Rus 2)	6-1/175	25-Jun-99	Russia
56	Albin Grewe	RW	Djurgardens (Swe Jr)	5-11/190	22-Mar-01	Sweden
57	Trevor Janicke	C	Central Illinois (USHL)	5-10/195	25-Dec-00	USA
58	Henry Thrun	D	NTDP (USA)	6-2/190	12-Mar-01	USA
59	Yegor Spiridonov	C	Stalnye Lisy Mag. (Rus Jr)	6-2/195	22-Jan-01	Russia
60	Patrik Puistola	LW	Tappara (Fin Jr)	6-0/175	11-Jan-01	Finland
61	Ilya Nikolayev	C	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	6-0/190	26-Jun-01	Russia
62	Drew Helleson	D	NTDP (USA)	6-3/195	26-Mar-01	USA
63	Graeme Clarke	RW	Ottawa (OHL)	5-11/175	24-Apr-01	Canada
64	Ronnie Attard	D	Tri-City (USHL)	6-3/210	20-Mar-99	USA
65	Mads Sogaard	G	Medicine Hat (WHL)	6-7/195	13-Dec-00	Denmark
66	Oleg Zaitsev	C	Red Deer (WHL)	6-1/185	7-Jan-01	Russia
67	Isaiah Saville	G	Tri-City (USHL)	6-1/190	21-Sep-00	USA
68	Kaedan Korczak	D	Kelowna (WHL)	6-3/190	29-Jan-01	Canada
69	Adam Najman	C	Benatky nad Jizerou (Cze 2)	5-11/175	23-Jan-01	Czech
70	Mikko Kokkonen	D	Jukurit (Fin)	5-11/200	18-Jan-01	Finland
71	Michael Vukojevic	D	Kitchener (OHL)	6-3/210	8-Jun-01	Canada
72	Patrick Moynihan	RW	NTDP (USA)	5-11/185	23-Jan-01	USA
73	Michael Gildon	LW	NTDP (USA)	6-1/195	21-Jun-01	USA
74	Judd Caulfield	RW	NTDP (USA)	6-3/205	19-Mar-01	USA
75	Vladislav Firstov	LW	Waterloo (USHL)	6-1/180	19-Jun-01	USA
76	Hugo Alnefelt	G	HV 71 (Swe Jr)	6-3/195	4-Jun-01	Sweden
77	Gianni Fairbrother	D	Everett (WHL)	6-0/195	30-Sep-00	Canada
78	Jackson Lacombe	D	Shattuck-St. Mary's (USHS-MN)	6-1/170	9-Jan-01	USA
79	Ethan Keppen	LW	Flint (OHL)	6-2/210	20-Mar-01	Canada
80	Anttoni Honka	D	JyP Jyvaskyla (Fin)	5-10/180	5-Oct-00	Finland
81	Roman Bychkov	D	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	5-11/160	10-Feb-01	Russia
82	Ryder Donovan	C	Duluth East (USHS-MN)	6-3/185	4-Oct-00	USA
83	Nathan Legare	RW	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	6-0/205	11-Jan-01	Canada
84	Billy Constantinou	D	Kingston (OHL)	6-0/185	25-Mar-01	Canada
85	Vojtech Strondala	C	Slavia Trebic (Cze 2)	5-7/155	17-Dec-00	Czech
86	Case McCarthy	D	NTDP (USA)	6-1/195	9-Jan-01	USA
87	Simon Lundmark	D	Linkopings (Swe)	6-2/200	8-Oct-00	Sweden
88	Zac Jones	D	Tri-City (USHL)	5-10/175	18-Oct-00	USA
89	Erik Portillo	G	Frolunda (Swe Jr)	6-6/210	3-Sep-00	Sweden
90	Daniil Misyul	D	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	6-3/180	20-Oct-00	Russia
91	Daniil Gutik	LW	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	6-3/180	31-Aug-01	Russia
92	Hunter Jones	G	Peterborough (OHL)	6-4/195	21-Sep-00	Canada
93	Michael Koster	D	Chaska (USHS-MN)	5-9/175	13-Apr-01	USA
94	Aliaksei Protas	C	Prince Albert (WHL)	6-5/205	6-Jan-01	Belarus
95	Blake Murray	C	Sudbury (OHL)	6-2/190	5-Jul-01	Canada
96	Cole MacKay	RW	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	5-10/190	13-Jun-01	Canada
97	Trent Miner	G	Vancouver (WHL)	6-0/185	5-Jan-01	Canada
98	Semyon Chistyakov	D	Tolpar Ufa (Rus Jr)	5-10/170	7-Aug-01	Russia
99	Leevi Aaltonen	RW	KalPa (Fin Jr)	5-9/175	24-Jan-01	Finland
100	Antti Saarela	C	Lukko Rauma (Fin)	5-11/185	27-Jun-01	Finland
101	John Farinacci	C	Dexter (USHS-MA)	5-11/185	14-Feb-01	USA
102	Marcus Kallionkieli	LW	Sioux City (USHL)	6-2/195	20-Mar-01	Finland
103	Andre Lee	LW	Sioux Falls (USHL)	6-4/200	26-Jul-00	Sweden
104	Kirill Slepets	RW	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	5-10/165	6-Apr-99	Russia
105	Shane Pinto	C	Tri-City (USHL)	6-2/190	12-Nov-00	USA
106	Jordan Spence	D	Moncton (QMJHL)	5-10/165	24-Feb-01	Canada
107	Keean Washkurak	C	Mississauga (OHL)	5-10/185	16-Aug-01	Canada
108	Owen Lindmark	C	NTDP (USA)	6-0/195	17-May-01	USA
109	Matej Blumel	RW	Waterloo (USHL)	5-11/200	31-May-00	Czech
110	Jack Malone	RW	Youngstown (USHL)	6-1/190	13-Oct-00	USA
111	Jayden Struble	D	St. Sebastian's (USHS-MA)	6-0/195	8-Sep-01	USA
112	Artemi Knyazev	D	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	5-11/180	4-Jan-01	Russia
113	Maxim Cajkovic	RW	Saint John (QMJHL)	5-11/185	3-Jan-01	Slovakia
114	Matvey Guskov	C	London (OHL)	6-1/180	30-Jan-01	Russia
115	Nikita Okhotyuk	D	Ottawa (OHL)	6-1/195	4-Dec-00	Russia
116	Valeri Orekhov	D	Barys Astana (KHL)	6-1/190	17-Jul-99	Kazakhstan
117	Zdenek Sedlak	RW	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	6-2/205	23-Mar-00	Czech
118	Alexander Yakovenko	D	Muskegon (USHL)	5-11/175	22-Feb-98	Russia
119	Yannick Bruschweiler	C	GC Kusnacht Lions (Sui 2)	5-10/175	29-Aug-99	Switzerland
120	Ilya Mironov	D	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	6-3/200	15-Mar-01	Russia
121	Albert Lyckasen	D	Linkopings (Swe Jr)	5-10/180	29-Jul-01	Sweden
122	Keegan Stevenson	C	Guelph (OHL)	6-1/185	31-Dec-00	Canada
123	Ilya Konovalov	G	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	6-0/195	13-Jul-98	Russia
124	Cole Schwindt	RW	Mississauga (OHL)	6-2/185	25-Apr-01	Canada
125	Domenick Fensore	D	NTDP (USA)	5-7/155	7-Sep-01	USA
126	William Francis	D	Cedar Rapids (USHL)	6-5/210	16-Nov-00	USA
127	Simon Gnyp	D	Kolner (Ger Jr)	5-11/180	10-Sep-01	Germany
128	Tuukka Tieksola	RW	Karpat Oulu (Fin Jr)	5-10/150	22-Jun-01	Finland
129	Ethan Phillips	C	Sioux Falls (USHL)	5-9/150	7-May-01	Canada
130	Linus Pettersson	RW	MoDo (Swe)	5-7/145	11-Apr-00	Sweden
131	Matias Maccelli	LW	Dubuque (USHL)	5-11/170	14-Oct-00	Finland
132	Anthony Romano	C	Sioux Falls (USHL)	5-11/185	7-Oct-00	Canada
133	Nikita Alexandrov	C	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	6-0/180	16-Sep-00	Germany
134	Arturs Silovs	G	HS Riga (Lat)	6-4/205	22-Mar-01	Latvia
135	August Hedlund	G	AIK (Swe Jr)	6-4/185	7-Jan-00	Sweden
136	Nicholas Porco	LW	Saginaw (OHL)	6-0/175	12-Mar-01	Canada
137	Joe Carroll	C	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-2/200	1-Feb-01	Canada
138	Alex Beaucage	RW	Rouyn Noranda (QMJHL)	6-1/195	25-Jul-01	Canada
139	Luke Toporowski	C	Spokane (WHL)	5-11/180	12-Apr-01	USA
140	Sasha Mutala	RW	Tri-City (WHL)	6-0/200	6-May-01	Canada
141	Harrison Blaisdell	C	Chilliwack (BCHL)	5-11/180	18-Mar-01	Canada
142	Valentin Nussbaumer	C	Shawinigan (QMJHL)	5-11/165	25-Sep-00	Switzerland
143	Dustin Wolf	G	Everett (WHL)	6-0/155	16-Apr-01	USA
144	Ondrej Psenicka	RW	Sparta Praha (Cze Jr)	6-5/195	7-Jan-01	Czech
145	Juuso Parssinen	C	TPS Turku (Fin Jr)	6-2/205	1-Feb-01	Finland
146	Mitchell Brewer	D	Oshawa (OHL)	6-0/205	20-Mar-01	Canada
147	Lukas Parik	G	Liberec (Cze Jr)	6-4/185	15-Mar-01	Czech
148	Grant Silianoff	RW	Cedar Rapids (USHL)	5-11/170	4-Jan-01	USA
149	Josh Nodler	C	Fargo (USHL)	5-11/195	27-Apr-01	USA
150	Bryce Brodzinski	RW	Blaine (USHS-MN)	6-0/195	9-Aug-00	USA
151	Colten Ellis	G	Rimouski (QMJHL)	6-1/190	5-Oct-00	Canada
152	Rhett Pitlick	LW	Chaska (USHS-MN)	5-9/160	7-Feb-01	USA
153	Dillon Hamaliuk	LW	Seattle (WHL)	6-3/190	30-Oct-00	Canada
154	Aleksei Sergeev	C	Quebec (QMJHL)	5-9/185	22-May-00	Russia
155	Jack York	D	Barrie (OHL)	6-0/190	17-Sep-00	Canada
156	Jacob LeGuerrier	D	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-1/200	22-Nov-00	Canada
157	Zach Uens	D	Wellington (OJHL)	6-1/180	13-May-01	Canada
158	Josh Williams	RW	Edmonton (WHL)	6-1/195	8-Mar-01	Canada
159	Elmer Soderblom	RW	Frolunda (Swe Jr)	6-6/220	5-Jul-01	Sweden
160	Kyle Topping	C	Kelowna (WHL)	5-11/185	18-Nov-99	Canada
161	Albin Sundsvik	C	Skelleftea (Swe Jr)	6-1/185	27-Apr-01	Sweden
162	Cameron Rowe	G	NTDP (USA)	6-2/200	1-Jun-01	USA
163	Filip Lindberg	G	Massachusetts (HE)	6-0/180	31-Jan-99	Finland
164	Liam Svensson	C	Frolunda (Swe Jr 18)	6-3/195	2-Feb-01	Sweden
165	Xavier Simoneau	C	Drummondville (QMJHL)	5-6/170	19-May-01	Canada
166	Pavel Gogolev	RW	Guelph (OHL)	6-0/175	19-Feb-00	Russia
167	Danil Antropov	LW	Oshawa (OHL)	6-1/185	20-Dec-00	Canada
168	Daniel D'Amico	LW	Windsor (OHL)	5-9/185	26-Jan-01	Canada
169	Vladimir Alistrov	LW	Edmonton (WHL)	6-2/175	12-Feb-01	Belarus
170	Reece Newkirk	C	Portland (WHL)	5-11/175	20-Feb-01	Canada
171	Sergei Alkhimov	LW	Regina (WHL)	6-0/210	3-Jul-01	Russia
172	Adam Beckman	LW	Spokane (WHL)	6-1/170	10-May-01	Canada
173	Alexander Campbell	LW	Victoria (BCHL)	5-10/150	27-Feb-01	Canada
174	Taylor Gauthier	G	Prince George (WHL)	6-1/195	15-Feb-01	Canada
175	Max Crozier	D	Sioux Falls (USHL)	6-1/195	19-Apr-00	Canada
176	Santeri Hatakka	D	Jokerit (Fin Jr)	6-0/175	15-Jan-01	Finland
177	Kalle Loponen	D	Hermes (Fin 2)	5-10/185	13-Mar-01	Finland
178	Eric Ciccolini	RW	Toronto Jr Canadiens (OJHL)	5-11/160	14-Jan-01	Canada
179	Aku Raty	RW	Karpat Oulu (Fin Jr)	5-11/170	5-Jul-01	Finland
180	Arvid Costmar	C	Linkopings (Swe Jr)	5-11/180	7-Jul-01	Sweden
181	Matt Brown	LW	Des Moines (USHL)	5-9/180	9-Aug-99	USA
182	Sven Leuenberger	C	Zug (Sui)	5-10/185	18-Feb-99	Switzerland
183	Jasper Patrikainen	G	Pelicans (Fin)	6-0/175	1-Jul-00	Finland
184	Jack Williams	G	Springfield (NAHL)	6-3/175	21-Jun-01	USA
185	Mikhail Abramov	C	Victoriaville (QMJHL)	5-10/160	26-Mar-01	Russia
186	Ben Brinkman	D	Minnesota (B1G)	6-0/215	4-Oct-00	USA
187	Chris Giroday	D	Green Bay (USHL)	6-1/175	13-Dec-00	Canada
188	Petr Cajka	C	Erie (OHL)	6-0/170	11-Dec-00	Czech
189	Mark Kastelic	C	Calgary (WHL)	6-3/215	11-Mar-99	USA
190	Kevin Wall	RW	Chilliwack (BCHL)	6-0/190	1-Feb-00	USA
191	Lucas Edmonds	RW	Karlskrona (Swe Jr)	5-11/175	27-Jan-01	Sweden
192	Carter Gylander	G	Sherwood Park (AJHL)	6-5/175	5-Jun-01	Canada
193	Ethan de Jong	RW	Quinnipiac (ECAC)	5-10/170	12-Jul-99	Canada
194	Wiljami Myllyla	RW	HIFK Helsinki (Fin Jr)	6-0/170	9-Apr-01	Finland
195	Yaroslav Likhachyov	RW	Gatineau (QMJHL)	5-10/170	2-Sep-01	Russia
196	Layton Ahac	D	Prince George (BCHL)	6-2/195	22-Feb-01	Canada
197	Alfred Barklund	D	Orebro (Swe Jr)	6-2/200	21-Oct-00	Sweden
198	Radek Muzik	LW	Lulea (Swe Jr)	6-3/180	25-Mar-01	Sweden
199	Marcus Pedersen	RW	Linkopings (Swe Jr)	6-2/165	25-May-01	Sweden
200	Filip Koffer	RW	Pardubice (Cze Jr)	5-11/175	4-Mar-01	Czech
201	Henri Nikkanen	C	Jukurit (Fin Jr)	6-3/200	28-Apr-01	Finland
202	Marc Del Gaizo	D	Massachusetts (HE)	5-9/190	11-Oct-99	USA
203	Tag Bertuzzi	LW	Hamilton (OHL)	6-0/200	18-Feb-01	Canada
204	Martin Hugo Has	D	Tappara (Fin Jr)	6-4/190	2-Feb-01	Czech
205	Jet Greaves	G	Barrie (OHL)	5-11/165	30-Mar-01	Canada
206	Mason Millman	D	Saginaw (OHL)	6-1/175	18-Jul-01	Canada
207	Janis Jerome Moser	D	Biel-Bienne (Sui)	6-0/160	6-Jun-00	Switzerland
208	Nick Abruzzese	C	Chicago (USHL)	5-9/160	4-Jun-99	USA
209	Logan Barlage	C	Lethbridge (WHL)	6-4/200	7-Jan-01	Canada
210	Carter Berger	D	Victoria (BCHL)	6-0/200	17-Sep-99	Canada
211	Nando Eggenberger	LW	Oshawa (OHL)	6-2/205	7-Oct-99	Switzerland
212	Tyce Thompson	RW	Providence (HE)	6-1/180	12-Jul-99	USA
213	Nolan Maier	G	Saskatoon (WHL)	6-0/175	10-Jan-01	Canada
214	Massimo Rizzo	C	Penticton (BCHL)	5-10/180	13-Jun-01	Canada
215	Matthew Steinburg	C	St. Andrew's (CHS-O)	6-1/185	7-Oct-00	Canada
216	Jake Lee	D	Seattle (WHL)	6-1/215	13-Jul-01	Canada
217	Luke Bast	D	Brooks (AJHL)	5-9/170	20-Nov-00	Canada

100 HONOURABLE MENTION IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER:

	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	Nation
HM	Nathan Allensen	D	Barrie (OHL)	5-11/180	3-May-01	Canada
HM	Ethan Anders	G	Red Deer (WHL)	6-1/175	26-Sep-00	Canada
HM	Nicklas Andrews	D	Des Moines (USHL)	5-10/185	6-Jul-01	USA
HM	Tyler Angle	C	Windsor (OHL)	5-9/165	30-Sep-00	Canada
HM	Marcel Barinka	C	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-0/165	3-Jan-01	Czech
HM	Roman Basran	G	Kelowna (WHL)	6-1/195	26-Jul-01	Canada
HM	Luke Bignell	C	Barrie (OHL)	6-0/170	3-Nov-00	Canada
HM	Mathieu Bizier	C	Gatineau (QMJHL)	6-1/185	13-May-01	Canada
HM	Oscar Bjerselius	C	Djurgardens (Swe Jr)	5-11/185	18-Feb-01	Sweden
HM	Kaden Bohlsen	C	Fargo (USHL)	6-3/190	10-Jan-01	USA
HM	Samuel Bolduc	D	Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)	6-3/210	9-Dec-00	Canada
HM	Jakob Bondesson	D	Rogle (Swe Jr)	6-1/185	22-May-00	Sweden
HM	Cole Brady	G	Janesville (NAHL)	6-5/165	12-Feb-01	Canada
HM	Alex Brannstam	D	Djurgardens (Swe Jr)	5-11/170	3-Jun-01	Sweden
HM	Lynden Breen	C	Central Illinois (USHL)	5-9/165	31-May-01	USA
HM	Jonas Brondberg	D	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe Jr)	6-4/190	26-Jan-01	Sweden
HM	Jeremie Bucheler	D	Victoria (BCHL)	6-4/200	31-Mar-00	Canada
HM	Brett Budgell	LW	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	5-11/190	1-Jun-01	Canada
HM	Luka Burzan	RW	Brandon (WHL)	6-0/190	7-Jan-00	Canada
HM	Felix Carenfelt	LW	Djurgardens (Swe Jr)	5-10/185	13-Feb-00	Sweden
HM	Luke Cavallin	G	Flint (OHL)	6-1/190	29-Apr-01	Canada
HM	Filip Cederqvist	LW	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe)	6-1/185	23-Aug-00	Sweden
HM	Cole Coskey	RW	Saginaw (OHL)	6-0/190	1-Jun-99	USA
HM	Braden Doyle	D	Lawrence Academy (USHS-MA)	5-11/170	24-Aug-01	USA
HM	Justin Ducharme	LW	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	5-10/180	22-Feb-00	Canada
HM	Nathan Dunkley	C	London (OHL)	5-11/195	3-May-00	Canada
HM	Pontus Englund	D	Timra (Swe Jr)	6-3/205	15-Jul-00	Sweden
HM	Lucas Feuk	LW	Sodertalje (Swe Jr)	6-0/185	19-Feb-01	Sweden
HM	Parker Ford	C	Sioux City (USHL)	5-8/170	20-Jul-00	USA
HM	Ethan Frisch	D	Fargo (USHL)	5-11/190	29-Oct-00	USA
HM	Maxim Golod	LW	Erie (OHL)	5-11/175	18-Aug-00	Canada
HM	Jacob Gronhagen	C	HV 71 (Swe Jr)	6-6/215	18-Jan-01	Sweden
HM	Maxence Guenette	D	Val d'Or (QMJHL)	6-1/180	28-Apr-01	Canada
HM	Hugo Gustafsson	C	Sodertalje (Swe 2)	5-10/160	23-Feb-00	Sweden
HM	Mack Guzda	G	Owen Sound (OHL)	6-4/215	11-Jan-01	USA
HM	Aidan Harper	G	Skipjacks HC 18U (USPHL)	6-2/170	28-May-01	USA
HM	Ludvig Hedstrom	D	Djurgardens (Swe Jr)	5-11/175	14-Apr-01	Sweden
HM	Konsta Hirvonen	LW	HIFK Helsinki (Fin Jr)	5-11/165	1-Nov-00	Finland
HM	Eric Hjorth	D	Linkopings (Swe Jr 18)	6-3/190	8-Jan-01	Sweden
HM	Samuel Hlavaj	G	Lincoln (USHL)	6-4/185	29-May-01	Slovakia
HM	Krystof Hrabik	C	Tri-City (WHL)	6-4/220	24-Sep-99	Czech
HM	Rickard Hugg	C	Kitchener (OHL)	5-11/190	18-Jan-99	Sweden
HM	Aaron Huglen	RW	Roseau (USHS-MN)	5-11/165	6-Mar-01	USA
HM	Aarne Intonen	C	TPS Turku (Fin Jr)	5-11/180	17-Jul-01	Finland
HM	Michal Ivan	D	Drummondville (QMJHL)	6-1/185	18-Nov-99	Slovakia
HM	Dylan Jackson	RW	Dubuque (USHL)	5-9/175	6-Sep-01	Canada
HM	Ty Jackson	C	Dubuque (USHL)	5-7/150	6-Sep-01	Canada
HM	Taro Jentzsch	C	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	6-1/155	11-Jun-00	Germany
HM	Samuel Johannesson	D	Rogle (Swe Jr)	5-11/175	27-Dec-00	Sweden
HM	Wilson Johansson	RW	Farjestads (Swe Jr)	5-11/175	11-Oct-00	Sweden
HM	Brooklyn Kalmikov	C	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	6-0/165	21-Apr-01	Canada
HM	David Karlstrom	C	AIK (Swe Jr)	6-1/185	12-Mar-01	Sweden
HM	Mans Kramer	D	Frolunda (Swe Jr)	6-2/180	6-Mar-01	Sweden
HM	Jami Krannila	C	Sioux Falls (USHL)	5-10/160	3-Oct-00	Finland
HM	Grayson Ladd	D	Windsor (OHL)	6-1/175	1-Mar-01	Canada
HM	Martin Lang	LW	Kamloops (WHL)	5-11/170	15-Sep-01	Czech
HM	Oscar Lawner	LW	Farjestads (Swe Jr)	5-11/185	13-Feb-01	Sweden
HM	Jonathan Lemieux	G	Val d'Or (QMJHL)	6-0/185	8-Jun-01	Canada
HM	Hugo Leufvenius	LW	Sarnia (OHL)	6-3/230	26-Mar-99	Sweden
HM	Ethan Leyh	LW	Langley (BCHL)	6-0/190	7-Sep-01	Canada
HM	Josh Lopina	C	Lincoln (USHL)	6-1/175	16-Feb-01	USA
HM	Emil Malysjev	D	Saskatoon (WHL)	6-3/190	1-May-01	Sweden
HM	Matias Mantykivi	C	SaiPa (Fin Jr)	5-11/160	21-Jun-01	Finland
HM	Jeremy McKenna	RW	Moncton (QMJHL)	5-10/175	20-Apr-99	Canada
HM	Billy Moskal	C	London (OHL)	6-0/185	22-Mar-00	Canada
HM	Derek Mullahy	G	Dexter (USHS-MA)	6-0/180	20-Mar-01	USA
HM	Kim Nousiainen	D	KalPa (Fin Jr)	5-9/170	14-Nov-00	Finland
HM	Zachary Okabe	RW	Grande Prairie (AJHL)	5-8/165	4-Jan-01	Canada
HM	Oliver Okuliar	LW	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	6-1/190	24-May-00	Slovakia
HM	Quinn Olson	LW	Okotoks (AJHL)	5-10/170	9-May-01	Canada
HM	Xavier Parent	LW	Halifax (QMJHL)	5-8/170	23-Mar-01	Canada
HM	Tommy Pasanen	D	Sioux City (USHL)	6-3/220	30-Jul-01	Germany
HM	Thomas Pelletier	D	Drummondville (QMJHL)	6-2/195	23-Aug-01	Canada
HM	Andrew Perrott	D	Owen Sound (OHL)	5-11/205	24-Aug-01	USA
HM	Kari Piiroinen	G	Windsor (OHL)	6-0/175	1-Jul-01	Finland
HM	Lukas Pilo	D	Orebro (Swe Jr)	6-1/185	7-Sep-99	Sweden
HM	Garrett Pinoniemi	C	Holy Family Catholic (USHS-MN)	5-11/150	15-Jun-01	USA
HM	Mason Primeau	C	North Bay (OHL)	6-5/205	28-Jul-01	Canada
HM	Kirby Proctor	D	Des Moines (USHL)	6-3/190	19-Apr-01	Canada
HM	Liam Ross	D	Sudbury (OHL)	6-2/195	13-May-01	Canada
HM	Henrik Rybinski	RW	Seattle (WHL)	6-0/175	26-Jun-01	Canada
HM	Nikita Sedov	D	Regina (WHL)	6-1/185	5-May-01	Russia
HM	Egor Serdyuk	RW	Victoriaville (QMJHL)	5-10/160	3-Jun-01	Russia
HM	Nikita Shashkov	LW	Sibir Novosibirsk (KHL)	5-11/180	26-Mar-99	Russia
HM	Ryan Siedem	D	Central Illinois (USHL)	6-2/190	25-Feb-01	USA
HM	Samuel Sjolund	D	AIK (Swe Jr)	6-1/175	19-May-01	Sweden
HM	Hunter Skinner	D	Muskegon (USHL)	6-2/175	29-Apr-01	USA
HM	Dominik Sojka	C	Banska Bystrica (Svk Jr)	6-5/210	16-Feb-01	Slovakia
HM	Kyen Sopa	RW	Niagara (OHL)	5-9/185	30-Sep-00	Switzerland
HM	Tyler Spott	D	Green Bay (USHL)	5-10/170	17-Jun-00	Canada
HM	Matthew Struthers	C	North Bay (OHL)	6-2/210	26-Dec-99	Canada
HM	Roope Taponen	G	HIFK Helsinki (Fin Jr)	6-0/165	14-Mar-01	Finland
HM	Jacob Tortora	LW	Barrie (OHL)	5-6/165	25-Jul-99	USA
HM	Bobby Trivigno	LW	Massachusetts (HE)	5-8/155	19-Jan-99	USA
HM	Eric Uba	RW	Flint (OHL)	6-0/195	17-Dec-00	Canada
HM	Max Wahlgren	RW	MoDo (Swe)	6-1/185	9-May-01	Sweden
HM	Carl Wang	D	Sodertalje (Swe Jr)	6-2/195	28-Mar-01	Sweden
HM	Matteus Ward	G	Linkopings (Swe Jr)	6-0/170	7-Mar-01	Sweden
HM	Lukas Wernblom	C	MoDo (Swe 2)	5-9/170	22-Jul-00	Sweden
HM	Jonathan Yantsis	RW	Kitchener (OHL)	6-2/210	28-Apr-99	Canada

MCKEEN’S 2019 NHL DRAFT GUIDE: Finland – Kakko makes a case for #1

Marco Bombino — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 13:05:00 +0000

Kaapo Kakko

Kaapo Kakko played exceptionally well for a 17-year-old in the Liiga with TPS. He finished the last two months of the regular season at nearly a point-per-game pace and led his team in playoff scoring. He also shined for Team Finland at the World Championship and won gold at the World Juniors. The right wing has a tremendous blend of skill, smarts and strength. He makes good decisions with the puck and does not forget his defensive responsibilities either, he backchecks and plays with a consistent effort at both ends of the ice. He can stickhandle in a phone booth and is very good below the goal line in the offensive zone. Kakko is physically mature and is arguably the most NHL-ready prospect from this year's draft class.

Patrik Puistola had an excellent season with LeKi in Finland's second highest league. The winger has a strong offensive toolbox, featuring quality stick skills and finishing ability, and he generates shots from the slot on a consistent basis. Puistola can find his teammates with pinpoint passing as he possesses tremendous vision and remains poised in tight spaces. He's strong on the puck, battles hard and has improved his skating to a pretty good level. He also showed signs of becoming a more complete player this season.

Another highly skilled winger to watch is Tuukka Tieksola, who was consistently one of the top performers for Kärpät U20 this season. Creative and smart with shifty moves and a soft touch on the puck, he is an excellent offensive player. Playmaking comes naturally to him and he has a precise wrist shot, too. Tieksola could end up being one of the most successful Finns from this draft class.

Ville Heinola of Finland ahead of the U20 ice hockey game between Finland and Canada on December 23, 2018 in Vancouver.
Photo: Joel Marklund / BILDBYRÅN / kod JM / 87821

Ville Heinola is a highly intelligent, smooth-skating defenseman who seldom makes any clear mistakes, with or without the puck. What he did in the Liiga this season against men was impressive, he played very confidently with the puck and used his stick well defensively to be disruptive and make opponents miss. His offensive game has started to come along nicely during the last two seasons, and he has shown a lot of ability as a power play quarterback.

Mikko Kokkonen had a good rookie season with Jukurit in the Liiga but struggled at the IIHF U18 World Championship. A physically mature and stable two-way defenseman, Kokkonen is good in many areas of the game but does not have one standout attribute which limits his upside in the long term. Right-shot defenseman Anttoni Honka joined Jukurit from JYP and was able to show more promise with his new team after a difficult first half of the season. A very skilled skater with nimble footwork, Honka can create space with his lateral movement. He has swift hands and soft touch on the puck. There are concerns about his hockey sense and defensive zone coverage which have become more evident in the last year.

There are a few good defensemen available even after that trio. Antti Tuomisto is a big, rangy right-shot blueliner who plays with his head up and moves the puck very well. His game improved a lot from the 2017-18 season, and he was relied upon to play big minutes for Ässät U20. Two-way defenseman Santeri Hatakka's game is trending upwards as he also improved towards the end of the season. He competes hard, skates very well – especially in a straight-line – and may have some untapped offensive potential. Smallish KalPa U20 defenseman Kim Nousiainen is a skilled puck mover with swift hands and starts clean breakouts. One of the smartest defensemen in the U20 league, he breaks up plays with his stick and processes the game quickly with the puck.

Leevi Aaltonen's development may have stalled a little bit but the KalPa U20 forward remains a solid mid-round option. A high-end skater with excellent acceleration and agility, he plays with a lot of pace and can control the puck well at high speed. His stickhandling and shooting ability make him a dangerous offensive player and difficult to contain. He's a hard worker and very shifty on his skates but needs to gain toughness and become more tenacious without the puck.

Antti Saarela, Juuso Pärssinen and Henri Nikkanen are the top Finnish centers available this year. Saarela spent most of the season in the Liiga and showcased flashes of skill in some games. A strong, smooth and versatile skater, Saarela has good speed and is quick to pucks. He has shown the ability to carry the tempo of the game in the juniors. All in all, he's a solid, balanced player with good hands and decent hockey sense.

Pärssinen is a dependable three-zone center with good offensive skills and defensive awareness. He could become a face-off specialist at the pro level as he already clearly wins the majority of his draws in the U20 league. Nikkanen missed a lot of games to due to injury this year, playing only a total of 25 games in the Liiga, Mestis and U20 league. He's a rangy, raw 6-3" center with quick hands. He has put up a lot of points throughout his junior career, but he needs to improve his speed and decision making. If he can put all the pieces of his game together under proper coaching, he could end up being a steal of a pick in the draft.

In goal, this is a down year for Finland. 2000-born Jasper Patrikainen re-enters the draft after having a strong and quite consistent season with Pelicans U20. Patrikainen's net coverage is strong, he moves well and gets set for shots quickly. Roope Taponen was the number one goalie for Finland at the IIHF U18 World Championship. He faced a lot of shots on a nightly basis with HIFK U20 and looked solid in league play. At 6-0", Taponen is a bit small for today's goalie, but he has athleticism and flexibility, with the ability to make the occasional desperation save.

IIHF 2019 U18 World Championship: Day 2 Notebook – CAN vs SUI, BLR vs FIN

Marco Bombino — Fri, 19 Apr 2019 23:24:17 +0000

UMEA, SWEDEN - APRIL 19: Belarus' Rostislav Zinovenko #1, Georgi Krishtal #23 and Vladislav Kolyachonok #5 battle for a loose puck against Finland's Tuukka Tieksola #32 and Juuso Parssinen #35 during the preliminary round of the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at A3 Arena on April 19, 2019 in Umea, Sweden. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Game 1: Canada – Switzerland 7-4

Canada got off a fast start against Switzerland, scoring three goals in 10 minutes and 19 seconds. The Swiss were really struggling to contain the Canadian forwards in their own end and the Canadians were constantly quicker to pucks. However, the Swiss were able to elevate their overall play in the second period, with two goals from forward Elvis Schlaepfer and one from defenseman Denis Rubanik. Peyton Krebs gave Canada a 4-3 lead late in the period as he redirected Jamie Drysdale's point shot. Canada was able to hold on to the lead in the third period and eventually take a 7-4 win. The game was surprisingly close on the scoreboard, considering that the shots on goal were 60-28 for Canada.

One of the Canadian forwards who caught my eye was Jamieson Rees. The 5'10" winger showed great game sense and offensive vision, finding his teammates with precise passing in the offensive zone. He's a quick and shifty skater with strong edge work, plus he can stop and start quickly. He had a strong on-ice work ethic and he was slippery with the puck. Defenseman Thomas Harley stood out with his puck movement and offensive contributions. His decision making was sound and he moved well in all directions displaying fluidity and agility. He has a lot of tools that NHL teams look for in a defenseman.

From the Swiss team, Schlaepfer had a rather strong game. He showed good scoring touch and finishing ability, even though he did have a lot of room to pick his spot on the first goal. Noah Delemont was one of their top performers as an underager. He moved the puck into good spots, had some good poise and a head for the game. However, at 5'9" Delemont is small and his skating did not look truly high end which may ultimately limit his upside. Still, he was able to have an impact on the game and is one to keep an eye on for the 2020 draft.

Game 2: Belarus – Finland 4-3

Belarus defeated Finland 4-3 for their second win of the tournament. The Finns did not look ready to compete in the first period and their play was less than stellar in the second period as well. But they did get back into the game by scoring three goals in the third period, cutting Belarus' lead to one goal. Belarus was able to hold onto the lead as Rostislav Zinovenko was outstanding in net, making 58 saves, including several excellent ones, and showing a high compete level. Finland has now lost both of its games.

Among Belarussian skaters, two players that had standout performances are forward Yevgeni Oksentyuk and defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok. Oksentyuk is very small but also slippery, highly skilled and tough to contain in one-one-one situations. This tournament has been a coming out party for the intriguing forward. Kolyachonok showcased excellent puck moving abilities and good mobility at 6'2". His game projects well for the next level as he can process his options quickly and make the right choices at both ends of the ice. Has some flash in his game, too.

Juuso Pärssinen stood out from the Finnish team. He has nifty hands, he showed some nice playmaking skill and was able to generate offensive opportunities for his team. Pärssinen is a solid skater, despite lacking a bit in lateral mobility. The big center is a balanced player with a chance to be a mid-round draft pick. Tuukka Tieksola was also quite noticeable as he put his high-level offensive skills and awareness on display on a few occasions, especially in the third period. He scored Finland's first goal with a precise wrister.

IIHF 2019 U18 World Championship Preview – Finland

Marco Bombino — Tue, 16 Apr 2019 21:43:18 +0000

Ville Heinola of Finland ahead of the U20 ice hockey game between Finland and Canada on December 23, 2018 in Vancouver.
Photo: Joel Marklund / BILDBYRÅN

Team Finland will look to return to the podium at the U18 World Championship tournament. Last year's gold-winning team surprised many people with its performance, as the 2000's hadn't been considered among the strongest age-groups in recent years. Instead, the 2001's have shown much more promise. At the international level, they have fared well and have been able to compete against the top countries. They even won all of the three pre-tournament games, including wins over Canada and Sweden.

While the team will miss an obvious star forward in Kaapo Kakko, who is trying to make the men's World Championship team, they still have a strong group of players. At forward, Finland brings a strong top nine and a more defensive fourth line. All lines can contribute on the scoresheet but the centers look particularly promising. Antti Saarela, Henri Nikkanen (both 2019), Anton Lundell (2020) and Aatu Räty (2021) are likely to be selected in their respective draft years, some of them with a high pick. The defense boasts a good mixture of mobile, skilled and smart defensemen. Ville Heinola and Mikko Kokkonen are the top defensemen, but don't sleep on Santeri Hatakka and Antti Tuomisto either. In net, Roope Taponen or Kari Piiroinen will likely get the starter's role. Both are rather promising netminders but I wouldn't consider either of them an elite prospect.

Here are the top 10 players to watch:

Tuukka Tieksola, RW

An excellent stickhandler with quick hands, creativity and poise, Tieksola is a fun player to watch. He can make dazzling plays with very good passing skills and understanding of the game. His fluid and smooth skating is reminiscent of Sebastian Aho, another Kärpät U20 product.

Aatu Räty, C

The late 2002 can be a dual threat due to his shooting and passing skills. He owns terrific hands and vision and is unselfish and makes others around him better. Shows great confidence and puck control on zone entries. It is still very early, but Räty has a legitimate chance to be the top pick in the 2021 draft.

Ville Heinola, D

Heinola is an intelligent defenseman who uses his timely and quick stick to break up plays. He plays a mature three-zone game, makes plays in all areas of the ice and has superb puck moving abilities. Even though he is mobile and agile, his skating lacks an explosive first step. He constantly makes the right decisions, both with and without the puck.

Mikko Kokkonen, D

Kokkonen will likely play on the first pairing alongside Heinola. The Jukurit defenseman also spent majority of the season in the Liiga and is the only returning defenseman from last year's tournament. Kokkonen is a stable blueliner who does not play a flashy game, but he gets the job done at both ends. A lack of upside will likely prevent him from being a top pick, but he's a very good player at this level and will be logging lots of ice-time.

Kasper Simontaival, RW

Simontaival is a skilled and dangerous goal-scorer with a lethal wrist shot and slap shot. Not big in stature but has good strength - sturdy on his skates and uses his stick well for takeaways. He should be featured on Finland's power play as his heavy shot could do damage on the man advantage.

Anton Lundell, C

Lundell played regularly for HIFK in the Liiga this season and was one of the top U20 players production-wise. A prototypical playmaking center who thinks the game at a high level. His hockey sense is his best asset. Very good puck protection skills, wins face-offs and plays a dependable two-way game. Improving skating will be his biggest challenge, but all things considered, Lundell is a potential lottery pick in the 2020 draft.

Santeri Hatakka, D

Hatakka was the top defenseman for Jokerit U20 for the second straight season. He has very good straight-line speed and can carry the puck from his own end, despite not being an overly strong puck handler. He has a good wrist shot from the point. Can be counted on to kill penalties. Overall, he's a steady, mobile and physically strong defenseman with two-way potential.

Leevi Aaltonen, LW

Aaltonen is an excellent skater with speed to burn. He can make sudden changes of directions which makes him tough to contain. The KalPa U20 standout has quick hands, good offensive vision and an accurate wrist shot. Works hard and is constantly moving but lacks roughness and can get pushed around easily. A strong tournament would boost his draft stock quite a bit.

Antti Saarela, C

Saarela will likely center either of the top two lines for the Finns. The brother of Carolina Hurricanes prospect Aleksi Saarela is a balanced and well-rounded player without many significant weaknesses. His shot, puck skills and skating are all good, though not elite. Can play a surprisingly physical game due to his speed and grit.

Patrik Puistola, LW

Puistola had a fantastic season for LeKi in Finland's second-highest league. The winger has quick hands and can be difficult to contain in one-on-one situations. What makes him very dangerous is his ability to generate shots from inside the dots. He has an accurate wrist shot and picks his spots well. A good passer of the puck with above-average vision. Defensive zone coverage and physicality need work, but he has the skill and will to become a player.

Tuukka Tieksola – McKeen's Hockey

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: CAROLINA HURRICANES – RANK: #14 – TIER III

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Top 300 Prospect Rankings

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Carolina Hurricanes Top 20 Prospects

Seth Jarvis, C (13th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Dominik Bokk, RW (Trade: Sep. 24, 2019. Originally: 25th overall, 2018 [St. Louis]. Previous ranking: 1)

Ryan Suzuki, C (28th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 2)

Jake Bean, D (13th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 3)

Noel Gunler, RW (41st overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Joey Keane, D (Trade: Feb. 18, 2020. Originally: 88th overall, 2018 [NY Rangers]. Previous ranking: 4)

Jamieson Rees, C (44th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 5)

Tuukka Tieksola, RW (121st overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 6)

Patrik Puistola, RW (73rd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 7)

Pyotr Kochetkov, G (36th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 8)

Jack Drury, C (42nd overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 9)

Morgan Geekie, C/RW (67th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 10)

Vasily Ponomarev, C (53rd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Jeremy Bracco, C/RW (UFA: Oct. 16, 2020. Originally: 61st overall, 2015 [Toronto]. Previous ranking: 6th [Toronto])

David Cotton, C (169th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 11)

Eetu Makiniemi, G (104th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 12)

Anttoni Honka, D (83rd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 13)

Kirill Slepets, RW (152nd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 14)

Zion Nybeck, RW (115th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Blake Murray, C (183rd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 15)

MCKEEN’S 2020 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – CAROLINA HURRICANES – ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 5

Carolina Hurricanes

Dominik Bokk, RW (Trade: Sep. 24, 2019. Originally: 25th overall, 2018 [St. Louis]. 2019 Rank: 2 [St. Louis])

Ryan Suzuki, C (28th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 2)

Jake Bean, D (13th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 8)

Joey Keane, D (Trade: Feb. 18, 2020. Originally: 88th overall, 2018 [NY Rangers]. 2019 Rank: 10 [NY Rangers])

Jamieson Rees, C (44th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 4)

Tuukka Tieksola, RW (121st overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

Patrik Puistola, RW (73rd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 5)

Pyotr Kochetkov, G (36th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 7)

Jack Drury, C (42nd overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 12)

David Cotton, C (169th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: 10)

Eetu Makiniemi, G (104th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: UR)

Morgan Geekie, C/RW (67th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 16)

Anttoni Honka, D (83rd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 14)

Kirill Slepets, RW (152nd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 19)

Blake Murray, C (183rd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 17)

MCKEENS 2020 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT – TOP 250 PROSPECTS

McKeen’s Choice Awards: Finland

Marco Bombino Finland-based Choice Awards

Best Skater – Leevi Aaltonen

Also Considered: Anttoni Honka, Antti Saarela

Most Skilled – Kaapo Kakko

Also Considered: Patrik Puistola, Tuukka Tieksola, Anttoni Honka

Best Shot – Patrik Puistola

Also Considered: Kaapo Kakko, Antti Saarela, Wiljami Myllylä, Antti Tuomisto

Hardest to Play Against - Kaapo Kakko

Also Considered: Patrik Puistola, Antti Tuomisto

Best Hockey Sense – Ville Heinola

Also Considered: Kaapo Kakko, Matias Mäntykivi, Antti Tuomisto, Juuso Pärssinen, Tuukka Tieksola

Best Playmaker - Tuukka Tieksola

Also Considered: Matias Mäntykivi, Kaapo Kakko, Ville Heinola

Best Stickhandler – Kaapo Kakko

Also Considered: Patrik Puistola, Tuukka Tieksola

Best Defensive Forward – Juuso Pärssinen

Also Considered: Aku Räty

Best Defensive Defenseman – Santeri Hatakka

Also Considered: Mikko Kokkonen, Valtteri Pulli

Fastest Skater – Leevi Aaltonen

Also Considered: Joonas Oden

Best Goalie – Jasper Patrikainen

MCKEEN’S 2019 NHL DRAFT GUIDE: Final Rankings – Top 217 Plus 100 Honourable Mention

MCKEEN'S RELEASES FINAL 2019 NHL DRAFT RANKINGS

MCKEEN’S 2019 NHL DRAFT GUIDE: Finland – Kakko makes a case for #1

IIHF 2019 U18 World Championship: Day 2 Notebook – CAN vs SUI, BLR vs FIN

IIHF 2019 U18 World Championship Preview – Finland

Seth Jarvis, C (13^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Dominik Bokk, RW (Trade: Sep. 24, 2019. Originally: 25^th overall, 2018 [St. Louis]. Previous ranking: 1)

Ryan Suzuki, C (28^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 2)

Jake Bean, D (13^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 3)

Noel Gunler, RW (41^st overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Joey Keane, D (Trade: Feb. 18, 2020. Originally: 88^th overall, 2018 [NY Rangers]. Previous ranking: 4)

Jamieson Rees, C (44^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 5)

Tuukka Tieksola, RW (121^st overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 6)

Patrik Puistola, RW (73^rd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 7)

Pyotr Kochetkov, G (36^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 8)

Jack Drury, C (42^nd overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 9)

Morgan Geekie, C/RW (67^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 10)

Vasily Ponomarev, C (53^rd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Jeremy Bracco, C/RW (UFA: Oct. 16, 2020. Originally: 61^st overall, 2015 [Toronto]. Previous ranking: 6^th [Toronto])

David Cotton, C (169^th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 11)

Eetu Makiniemi, G (104^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 12)

Anttoni Honka, D (83^rd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 13)

Kirill Slepets, RW (152^ndoverall, 2019. Previous ranking: 14)

Zion Nybeck, RW (115^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Blake Murray, C (183^rd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 15)

Dominik Bokk, RW (Trade: Sep. 24, 2019. Originally: 25^th overall, 2018 [St. Louis]. 2019 Rank: 2 [St. Louis])

Ryan Suzuki, C (28^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 2)

Jake Bean, D (13^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 8)

Joey Keane, D (Trade: Feb. 18, 2020. Originally: 88^th overall, 2018 [NY Rangers]. 2019 Rank: 10 [NY Rangers])

Jamieson Rees, C (44^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 4)

Tuukka Tieksola, RW (121^st overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

Patrik Puistola, RW (73^rd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 5)

Pyotr Kochetkov, G (36^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 7)

Jack Drury, C (42^nd overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 12)

David Cotton, C (169^th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: 10)

Eetu Makiniemi, G (104^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: UR)

Morgan Geekie, C/RW (67^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 16)

Anttoni Honka, D (83^rd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 14)

Kirill Slepets, RW (152^ndoverall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 19)

Blake Murray, C (183^rd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 17)